Summer in the Studio

June 18, 2021

Ahh, summer!  It means beautiful skies, warmer temperatures, and oftentimes a change in the regular schedule. Here at the KBAC it means enjoying the blue skies from our front windows, turning on several fans to keep our air moving, and adjusting our usual school-year routines. 

Our summer teaching schedule typically involves more groups of kids, but those groups are smaller in size. This means we can really spread out with plenty of space for social distancing. It means we can truly enjoy the lengthy process of making paper in cool water on a hot day. It means we can set aside time for long printing projects that demand our full attention. It means we can experiment with different program content including creating diamond books with the kids from Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation, monoprinting with campers from the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, and carving animal track stamps with kids at the Ransom District Library in Plainwell. 

Our summer interns, unlike during the school year, are a blend of college and high school students. The college students earn credits and gain knowledge, as usual, while the high school kids are added to the mix and begin to explore their own likes and dislikes, skills and struggles, through a work experience that is quite different from a typical summer job. They gather knowledge and abilities that will help them with college applications and future classes. And all the interns have a chance to exhibit work in our gallery space during a summer show. These programs are funded by several Foundations and private donations that understand our mission and realize the value of hands-on learning. We are so thankful for their support.

 Summer means that Jeff, our Executive Director, is off to Europe with a group of WMU students for their Book Arts in Italy study abroad opportunity. These students are lucky enough to enjoy a trip of a lifetime working at printmaking studios and traveling throughout Italy with an American fluent in Italian. Jeff knows all the best spots!  In Fall 2021, look for the announcement of an adult version of this amazing trip taking place in summer 2022.

There is no bad time to be in the KBAC studio, but we do really like the summer months. We are just as busy, but it feels more relaxed. We are just as creative, but it feels more innovative.

If you have a group that wants to experience the KBAC in the summer, whether it’s a tour, a birthday party, a corporate team building or a night out, get in touch and we’ll see what we can do.

Jeff, Katie and Lorrie

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