Students are gone. Moscow feels empty. It may seem quiet, but not for those at the Prichard Art Gallery.
This summer the Prichard Art Galley will be hosting several events, two exhibits from local artists, Sarah Swett and Sara Joyce, will open Friday, June 17. In August there will be live music by Noise Opera and two children”s camps.
Roger Rowely is the director of the Prichard Art Gallery, which is an entity of the University of Idaho and is sponsored by the school.
“I am responsible for all the curatorial activities at gallery,” Rowely said.
Rowely has a master”s in fine arts from Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York.
It his job to organize the artists, exhibits and events that come and go through the gallery in addition to all the financing, budgeting and operational aspects.
However, he doesn”t do his work alone. He has two assistant directors who work with him. One is in charge of the store”s operation and the other is head of the educational outreach programs.
“We have two summer camps that are now full,” Rowley said.
The two camps are one week apiece and each day runs three hours long.
The goal of the camp is to give kids a fun, exciting and educational experience in the arts for a week, with the hope that they will develop a love for the arts and want to return to them in their lives.
“We don”t have to do the camp at the gallery,” Rowely said.
Rowley said because the gallery is a UI affiliate this year”s camp will be taking place on the UI campus in the Art and Architecture East building”s ceramics studio. The kids will be making ceramics in this year”s camps.
In the past the gallery has hosted kid camps focused on yarn work, painting, and even puppet theatre.
“We have been doing the camp off and on for years now,” Rowely said. “The past couple years have been far more structured and well planned.”
The kids spend one week learning a single artistic activity which by the end they all have the opportunity to become little professionals.
“We”ve really had the opportunity to make things a little better for the kids and move it along, and that”s a good thing,” Rowely said.
Although this year”s camp is closed for registration, the directors of the Prichard Art Gallery have been working to improve their educational outreach and have succeeded in making their endeavors fuller and more beneficial. As the children”s camps have improved from year to year they plan on hosting another event next summer and they are excited to invite the public to keep their calendars marked for next year.
Kevin Neighbors can be reached at