The ASAP Summer Arts Camp is August 9-13 in Evelyn K. Davis Park.  Walk-up registration starts at 12:30.  Studio 1 is held from 1:00-1:50, and Studio 2 from 2:00-2:50.

We have a variety of arts studios planned but still need lots of volunteers.  Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to volunteer even a few hours that week!

The Spring 2010 session of the After School Arts Program starts Thursday, March 25, after a three-week break for students and staff.  Enrollment forms will be available at the end of February.  The theme of the spring session is "Community Garden" and all studios will relate to the garden under development at 13th and College in Des Moines.  Session dates are as follows:

The Winter 2010 session closes Thursday, February 25, with a reception and dinner for participants and their families, teachers, and program supporters.  Each studio hosts an exhibition or performance to showcase the students' work this term. The reception takes place 5:30-6:30 at St. John's Lutheran Church, 600 Sixth Avenue, downtown Des Moines.  Park in the west lot and enter at the alley door by the ASAP banner.

The Winter 2010 session of ASAP starts January 14. We are thrilled to offer the following exciting studios:

Digital Photography, Instructors: Sean O'Leary and Mike Crall. Students will learn how to use a digital camera, will create a notebook of samples to learn photography-related vocabulary and techniques, and will do a variety of hands-on photography projects. They will learn to edit their work and prepare prints for exhibition, taking into consideration cropping, matting, framing, and other issues. Sean is a professional photographer and owner of Soulstice Photography Studio. Mike is former Director of Marketing at the Des Moines Art Center and an amateur photographer.

Mexica/Aztec Dance, Instructors: Dawn Martinez Oropeza and Juan Carlos Romero. Students will learn about the contributions of the Aztec/Mexica people, including the Aztec calendar, dancing, drumming, and several words in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs which is still spoken by 1.4 million people in Mexico. Students will experience the wholeness of the Mexica society as they experience the teachings of the calendar through learning a traditional blessings dance. Dawn is in charge of arts education and community programs at the Iowa Arts Council; Juan Carlos is her husband. Their traditional Aztec dance company presents a variety of workshops around Iowa.

Mixed Media: The Me, Myself, and I Book, Instructor: Toni Lampley. If your name was in lights what would it look like?  If you were a flower what would you be?  Each student will create a book about him- or herself, exploring likes and dislikes using a variety of art materials and techniques. Toni is a self-employed artist and entrepreneur. Her "Designing Life" projects focus on empowering adolescent girls through art. This studio is not limited to girls—everyone is welcome.

Painting, Instructor: Jill Wells. Students will select and learn about a famous painter and their work, then make their own painting in the style of that artist. Jill is a returning Teaching Artist at ASAP and is a professional mural painter. She is excited to meet her new class of students and get the paintbrushes moving again.

Screen Printing: T-shirts, Posters, and More, Instructor: Tim Schmitt. Students will learn the art of screen printing while designing and creating their own T-shirts, posters, and other original works of art. Participants will build all the equipment from scratch and will learn how to creatively use inexpensive and/or recycled materials. Students will demonstrate their completed work, guide parents in a hands-on lesson, and take home their finished pieces and the materials they've created for continued use on their own time. Tim is a writer/editor in the marketing office at Drake University. He plays drums in an area rock band and has experience with a wide variety of artistic media. He has led workshops for the Girl Scouts of Iowa, among other organizations.

ASAP, the After School Arts Program, will kick off again in 2010 after a break for the holidays. Program dates are as follows:

Studios and Teaching Artists will be announced very soon. Stay tuned ...

Please join us to celebrate the end of the Fall 2009 session of ASAP, the After School Arts Program, featuring a presentation of works created by students in each studio:

Mixed Media, Teaching Artist Kay Fenton Smith
Poetry, Teaching Artists Robert and Julanda Taylor
Ceramics, Teaching Artist Samantha Thomas
Painting, Teaching Artist Jill Wells

Thursday, December 3, 2009
5:30-6:30 p.m.
St. John's Lutheran Church
600 Sixth Avenue, downtown Des Moines

(Park in the lot on the west side of the building, between 6th and 7th Streets.  Enter the building at the west door, via the alley.  Look for the ASAP sign.)

Over the summer ASAP got its 501(c)(3) non-profit designation, hired an executive director, and started making plans for the future. First order of business: the fall 2009 program. The kids are eager to return, transportation is secured, and our teaching artists and volunteers are busily preparing. Look for more information about the studio offerings soon!