By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
An important part of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp experience is the product - and sharing it with others.
“It’s sharing your work and having culminating experiences,” says camp director Roger Schmidt. “It gives value to your work.”
To that end, the camp is inviting the community to attend the high school camp’s final art shows and performances starting Thursday night. High school camp started June 27 and ends July 11.
The schedule is:
7 p.m. Thursday – Performing Arts Center, final performances for Brass Masterclass, Sonic Boom, A Capella, Advanced Improv & Improv
7 p.m. Friday – Performing Arts Center. Fantasy Combat, Hip Hop, Shakespeare, Modern Dance, Musical Theater
7 p.m. Saturday – Performing Arts Center. Orchestra, Jazz Band, Choir, Symphonic Band. (Rock band at Odess Theater after the concert.)
1 to 4 p.m. Saturday – SJ Campus. Visual arts and smaller workshops, including a number of music performances, acting, writing, singing, and visual arts (painting, photography, filmmaking, printmaking, animation).
Campers Get Ready
Schmidt said he’s been pleased to see the reactions from kids who are returning to campus after two years. The pandemic forced the cancellation of most summer camps in 2020.
“They’re so happy to be making art again with other people,” he said. “One of the reasons artists love art is it’s one of the purest ways to connect with people. It’s so beautiful to watch. Walking into a painting class, everyone was steadily painting away. ... But it’s also an incredibly social experience. You’re still sharing your art with other people, both in making art and presenting it.”
Zeke Blackwell, Sitka Fine Arts Camp Musical Theater director, works on blocking with the cast of “Into the Woods,” this morning in Rasmuson Hall on the SJ campus. Performances are set for July 30 at 7 p.m., and July 31 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Sitka Performing Arts Center. (Sentinel Photo)
And that’s the way it’s always been – or at least since the days that Schmidt remembers when he was a camper at SFAC. He spoke of the motivation he had as a young musician to practice to be accepted to the jazz band, and the one-on-one practice with instructor Roy McPherson to be ready for his final performance of a funk tune “Buffalo Breath.”
“I was so far out of my element, he helped me learn my parts,” Schmidt said. “I remember performing in Allen Memorial Hall. ... I remember it like it was yesterday. It was so exciting to be working toward this goal, and enjoying playing in a band, and having a reason to practice because I knew I would be sharing it with people.”
As he spoke to the Sentinel today, Zeke Blackwell and Rhiannon Guevin – with Chris Staknys on piano – were a few buildings away, working with their Musical Theater students on scenes from the Broadway show “Something Rotten!” for their Friday performance.
In class on Tuesday, Soren Marius and Phillip Smith were joined by Eliot Holloway and the rest of the class for the number “God, I Hate Shakespeare.”
Smith is 18 but already has a number of shows under his belt, including a few this year in Ketchikan; Marius, 16, came here from Japan, after being away from Sitka two years, and has theater experience from the places he has lived. Holloway is a veteran of the Sitka Young Performers Theater and Sitka High programs.
They were still getting their parts down on Tuesday morning, but Blackwell said it’s coming together for the Friday presentation to hundreds of campers and members of the public.
The actors and the director agreed with Schmidt on the importance of being with others to share arts experiences.
Marius, on his second day of class, said he’d been looking forward to coming back for his fourth summer camp. He’s also taking vocal solo class, choir, screenwriting and a cappella singing.
“I love Sitka, and I love Sitka Fine Arts Camp,” he said. “I wanted to come back as soon as possible. ... Getting back into the arts – it’s been ethereal.”
Smith and fellow classmate Clover Snelling said SFAC has been missed in other ways. Smith said he was in play productions this past year but the camp is something else.
“It’s really nice to be back,” Smith said. “It’s a comfortable place to be, a place where I can be myself.”
Snelling, who lives outside of Petersburg, is in her sixth year at SFAC. She was homeschooled this past year, but is looking forward to attending school in Sitka next year.
“It’s been really nice to be back,” she said. “All my friends are here, at Fine Arts Camp. ... I have difficulty trying to relate to people and fine arts camp is a great opportunity to relate to people.”
The final performances have a suggested donation of $5 per show at the door.
