Young participants in the Arts in Motion Summer Camp spent their camp time surrounded by art and arts activities.
Submitted Photo
Participants in the final program at the Arts in Motion Summer Camp pose in the Annamaly Gallery at 900 Rutter Ave. in Forty Fort.
Submitted Photo
Arts in Motion 2026 concluded Thursday with a final performance for parents and grandparents.
Submitted Photo
Children stretch as ‘Mr. Patrick,’ the yoga instructor, gives directions.
Submitted Photo
‘Larry the Line’ is a plush snake who helps kids learn about shapes during art classes at the Arts in Motion gallery.
Submitted Photo
Wearing their green camp shirts, children who attended Arts in Motion Summer Camp at the Annamaly Gallery in Forty Fort perform for their families on Thursday, during a last-day-of-camp performance.
Submitted Photo
On the last day of Arts in Motion camp at the Annamaly Studio in Forty Fort, 5-year-old Easton Walsh ran up to Miss Colleen, the theatre arts teacher, with a question.
“Are you gonna be here next year?” he said, with all the eagerness of a kid who had a great time.
Miss Colleen said she would, and the little boy scampered happily back to his parents, who were collecting artwork their son had made during the summer session.
“There’s been a lot of art, a lot of building confidence and creativity,” his mom, Kadie Walsh of West Pittston, said.
Other parents and grandparents echoed that thought as they gathered on Thursday in the Annamaly Studio in the 900 Rutter Ave. complex to watch an end-of-summer skit, demonstrations of yoga moves and American Sign Language, and other activities that showed what the kids had been learning.
“What did you like best about the camp?” Charlotte Lupini’s dad asked his daughter when it was over, encouraging her to tell a reporter.
“Having all these friends and meeting new people,” the 7-year-old said with a big smile.
The final skit, based on Crockett Johnson’s book “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” featured 11-year-0ld Brandon Riedinger as Harold. He carried a giant purple “crayon” that, as 11-year-old Katie Thackara explained, she had crafted from a pool noodle “with paper wrapping.”
As Brandon roamed through the stage area, he used the crayon to trace outlines around the other participants, who sprang to life as if he had just drawn them.
In his role as Harold, Brandon took a nighttime walk under the light of a crescent moon. His adventures included meeting a dragon as well as some picnickers, each of whom had a triangular slice of “pie” attached to their heads, before heading home to his own bed.
The summer arts camp, led by Anna Malsky Dowse, had close to 50 campers participating in the final week. If you counted everyone who had participated all summer, Dowse said, it would be more like 80.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.