More than 60 students from across Arkansas spent the week of June 20-24 learning new art skills during a free residential summer intensive program for juniors and seniors at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The artWAYS 2022 camp was provided at no cost thanks to a generous grant from the Windgate Foundation. This included all art materials, meals, housing costs, and evening activities.

During the program, students took the following sessions: Drawing the Dynamic Figure with Robert Bean, drawing instructor; Lensless Photography with Joli Livaudais, associate professor of photography; From Start to Finish: Learn to Make Your Own Jewelry with Lydia Martin, artist-in-residence of metals; and Typographic Sculptures with Kevin Cates, professor of graphic design.

“It was a great experience,” Livaudais said. “The students did some amazing work, and it was a lot of fun. We had them doing primitive photographic techniques, like taking photos with cardboard cameras. They also worked in the darkroom using historic photographic processes like cyanotype.”

In Cates’ class, students designed layouts and created 3D typographic sculptures based on quotes. The sculptures included a 3D guitar sculpture that held up displayed quotes about the American rock band Weezer. All the students in the program signed the guitar, which Cates plans to display in his office.

“My favorite part was seeing the sculptures in the lobby for everyone to see,” Cates said. “Attending the program really helped get the creative juices flowing and helped students get excited about what they can do in college.”

Students also enjoyed evening activities including tie dying t-shirts, movie night, water wars, a campus tour, open art studio, and indoor and outdoor games.

The 62 Arkansas students who attended the program include: Alleyah Evans, Alexa Whisenhunt, Alexandro Vazquez, Alice Neely, Allyson Ramsey, Anna Johnson, Anna Reber, Ariana Langley, Aubree Wright, Bella Garbett, Kim Bitna, Brooke Weinzimer, Cailey Stover, Carla Servin, Dawn Phillips, Deliliah Duguld, Destiny Montogomery, Eliot Spann, Emily Flores-Ayala, Emma Herbold, Evelyn Flores, Hanna Pruitt, Jadon Parks, Jenna Phillips, Jessalyn Cotton, Jillian Thorpe, Josslyn McCall, Judson Ogle, K’lari Collins, Karrington Bost, Kennedi Green, Kennedy Lucas, Kevin Rivera, Kimberly Bright, Kloe Jackson, Lani McClure, Lillith McAfee, Macy McLaughlin, Marisela Morales, Maryn Asbury, McHarvey Morrison, Mikka Reid, Nhi Le, Niko Maxey, Noelia Borkowski, Olivia George, Paley Honeysuckle, Paris Enriquez, Rebecca Worthington, Samantha Smith, Sidnye Nealy, Sofia Theodore, Sophia Bozeman, Sydnie Maxwell, Tarini Eswaran, Tristan Johnson, Vaida Stacy, Ximenia Gonzalez, Yessenia Gonzalez, Zach Miller, Zenobia Kelley, and Zoe Tarbille.

“The program is super good,” Noelia Borkowski, a student at Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School. “I felt like I was interested in all the classes and learned a lot from them. I would highly recommend it to everyone who is interested in art.”

Kennedy Lucas, a student at Joe T. Robinson High School, said she attended the artWAYS program because she was interested in learning new kinds of art.

“I’ve been doing art for years. It’s always been my favorite class in school,” Lucas said. “My favorite artWAYS class was jewelry making. I got to do something different, and we got to learn different metalworking techniques to make jewelry. I also learned a lot about figure drawing that I will use in the future. It was a really good experience. I’ll probably apply again next year.”