The Rogest Kids Gallery Programme during Kids Sea Camp in Grand Cayman includes a special international marine artist this year, and local students will be participating in the activities.
‘The Kids Gallery Programme is designed to provide an environment that focuses on lifelong learning, relationships and respect for oneself and others through bringing the study and concepts of environmental education and visual art to life, and to introduce students to the ecology of the world’s oceans through art,’ says a press release from Divetech.
Working alongside Ron Steven, ‘Rogest’, a renowned marine artist, local children aged between 12 and 16 will create their own piece of dot art during two half-day sessions on 25 and 26 July.
The Kids Gallery Programme will be hosted at Divetech at Cobalt Coast Resort in West Bay as a part of Kids Sea Camp activities for local students.
Rogest will engage the students in discussions of the habitat, species diversity and inter-relatedness, as well as the aboriginal culture of Australia. Students will research a marine organism of their choice and, Rogest’s assistance, each student will create a painting of their chosen organism in the Australian Aboriginal style of dot painting, according to the release.
‘Students will learn about marine ecology, sustainability and population diversity; aboriginal traditions, beliefs and customs; acrylic painting skills and techniques as well as have the opportunity to have their work contribute to the marine environment.’
On Friday, 29 July, between 3pm and 5pm, the art and the student descriptions of the organism and its habitat will be displayed at The Butterfly Farm.
An auction will offer parents and local businesses a chance to bid on the paintings.
‘We wish to celebrate the raising of these funds and the enjoyment of painting with the community at large, and are calling on all businesses and parents to come and join us and bid on the works of art created by our youth,’ the release said.
‘With up to 40 students participating, the Kids Gallery Programme will raise much needed funds. Through education and art we wish to engage the community for the betterment of the environment,’ it reads.
Proceeds from the auction will be donated to The National Trust’s Coral Reef Exploration for Children programme and the Department of Environment’s Sea Turtle Satellite Tracking programme.
Parents may call Divetech at 946-5658 to register their children. A maximum of 40 children will be registered. No fees arte charged.
Students will be given a Kids Sea Camp T-shirt courtesy of PADI Diving Society; a mask, fin and snorkel set, plus a wetsuit courtesy of ScubaPro; all art supplies courtesy of Kids Sea Camp; lunch and refreshments courtesy of Cobalt Coast Resort; and a Stingray City dive or snorkel trip courtesy of Divetech. Boatswain’s Beach is a sponsor for the event, providing all of the logistics, refreshments and support for the auction. Transportation to and from the Kids Gallery Programme is not provided.
Artist Ron Stevens has featured on numerous magazine covers, and has donated his work to Scholarship programmes and Ocean Pals, and many marine and environmental causes. He is a leading painter of aquatic-related images, influenced by the Australian style of dot painting , using seawater (salt) and sand from the ocean for texture, making his paintings a unique expression.
Divetech and Cobalt Coast Resort have acted as hosts for Kids Sea Camp in Grand Cayman annually for two weeks each summer. Children from 4 years old learn to snorkel, SASY and scuba-dive in a variety of educational and fun courses, while parents also scuba dive. Marine awareness and identification, underwater photography, a treasure hunt, pizza/movie night, games, arts and crafts, a Stingray City trip and an Atlantis semi-sub ride are part of the events.
Kids Sea Camp is the brain child of Margo Chornlesky, a certified diver since 1988. She moved to the Cayman Islands in 1992, working as a travel agent and tour guide before returning to Florida in 1995.
Ms. Chornlesky operates Caribbean Adventures Dive Travel, and is the mother of two. She created Kids Sea Camp to facilitate travel with her family for fun and educational children’s programmes. Meeting all educational standards, Kids Sea Camp has chosen PADI Diving Society, the Seal Team, Jr. Certification and SASY for children’s water-based programmes. Visit www.kidseacamp.comwww.divetech.comwww.cobaltcoast.comwww.rogest.com
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