Jun. 30—The Mammoth Lobby at the Owensboro Museum of Science and History has had a few extra visitors this week with the International Center of Owensboro hosting its first Transcend Summer Arts Camp.

While visitors are still able to walk around to see a number of the exhibitions and galleries in the museum, the lobby has been transformed into a temporary artistic space, with a number of tables, easels, paint and colorful canvas pieces created by the camp's participants — primarily local refugee mentees — covering the area.

Laura Jones, youth and family services coordinator for the center, said the camp was created to provide a safe space for campers to express themselves, tell their stories and "integrate and encourage cross-cultural communication."

Jones, who runs the youth mentorship group, said that they hold different projects every month that revolve around civic and social engagement, educational and vocational advancement, life skills and health and well-being, and wanted to find something to encompass all of it in some form.

"We really wanted to cultivate a project that they could integrate with one another and just have unity," she said. "I just felt like — having my background in art before I got into this field— (to have) something that really transcends past language barriers."

The camp began Monday and runs through Friday, with 46 participants registered.

Activities have included self-portraits, exploring Indigenous art, papier-mâché, dance, paint pouring exercises instructed by local artist Leeza Dukes, educational lessons on certain artists, such as Belarusian-French artist Marc Chagall, and testing their art skills through a number of mediums and styles.

"Chagall did village paintings ... so I wanted to give (the participants) the opportunity — if they wanted to — to show their own homeland, village, things like that through paint and oil pastel," Jones said.

Jones also said they have drawn creations on the sidewalk outside the museum, alongside Daviess Street, for the public to see.

And at the end of the week, Jones said the participants will pick their favorite piece they created and enter it in a juried exhibition that will be voted on by their peers.

One of the participants at the camp is Neema López, 16, who relocated to Owensboro seven months ago from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

López said that she has been enjoying her time at the camp.

"It's making me happy," she said. "It makes me feel so good. I've made some friends here, (and) I've been meeting different people."

She also enjoys doing artwork. She uses some of her personal downtime drawing and gets inspired from what she observes around her.

"If I see something and I like it, I'll try to (replicate) it," López said.

Jones said the participants enrolled in the camp speak a number of languages, ranging from Karen, Swahili, Spanish and Pashto, and the camp is an opportunity to be able to communicate with one another regardless of where they come from.

"They can all see each other's work and get the flow of what they're doing," she said.

Jones said that programs like the camp are "paramount" to helping those who are becoming acquainted with Owensboro and the United States, and it offers them a platform to express themselves.

"It really gives them an opportunity to really experience inclusion, and they all share the common bond of having different experiences as refugees; but they all have a story to tell," Jones said. "Some of the individuals here are not obviously as vocal, so they don't feel that connection yet as being citizens of our community. I just really wanted to give them that opportunity."

Jones is hopeful the camp will grow for years to come, as she sees the benefits for everyone involved.

"I hope to make it annual," she said. "I think that would be great.

"Every single time we have group events, I always — and whoever is presenting — learn as much from these students as they do from us. It's a wonderful opportunity for them to let us know about their culture (and) for us to really learn more about communication and diversity."

Jones said the center is looking for new mentors, mentees and volunteers to assist with events like the camp. If interested, contact Jones at 270-683-3423 or lauraj@wkrmaa.org.

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