The first installment of the City of Selma Ceramic Art Program’s Art Camp 2019 is well underway.

The program, which began on Monday this week, provides children with the opportunity to explore a variety of different artistic mediums including paint, pottery and sculpture.

The children are taught these different mediums by different volunteers and instructors including local folk artist Charlie Lucas, whose studio on Lauderdale Street serves as headquarters for the camp.

Lucas has all 42 of the children in the program collaborating to create an enormous fish sculpture, reminiscent of his own sculptures that fill his studio.

Pieces of everything make up the fish including sticks, fabric, scraps of metal and even computer parts.

Lucas describes with awe the look on a child’s face as he discovered where he wanted to put the next piece of the sculpture.

“His face just lit up,” said Lucas. “He was seeing what was in his head come to life. It’s a magical thing to see this happen.”

According to Lucas, the creativity of the children is contagious. As an artist himself, he finds their enthusiasm inspiring.
“It’s like being a kid in a candy store,” he said.

According to camp director Candi Duncan, this is the programs 52^nd camp.

“It’s a good thing for Selma,” said Duncan. “We have the children of people who attended this camp as children.”

Duncan says that watching the children learn as they express their creativity is quite rewarding.

“You see that little lightbulb go off in their head,” said Duncan.

Duncan added that the Art Camp is a way for children to experience art that they don’t get in school.

“So many of those programs have been cut,” she said.

According to Duncan, there are still several seats available for the Art Camp. For more information call (334) 412-8550.