Prospect Heights Art Teacher Finds a New Path

After eight years teaching art at public schools, Prospect Heights resident Isabel Cruz decided she was ready to take on a new challenge: running her own art summer camp for children between 4 and 6-years-old.

Bluebell Art Camp, which will open in August, was founded out of Cruz’s love for teaching pre-k and kindergarten-level kids (“They are abundantly curious, imaginative and enthusiastic,” she said), but also out of her worry that amidst budget cuts, art education in public schools would soon be a thing of the past.

“Priorities are shifting to test scores, and art is always the first to go,” said Cruz, who graduated with a Masters in Education from Columbia University and has lived in the neighborhood for the past six years.

“I’m a strong advocate of art education,” said Cruz, who mostly works in the mediums of sculpture and collage. “It helps to develop hand-eye coordination, dexterity, control and focus.”

Cruz said the idea to teach on her own was "always in the back of my head."

"My perspective on my life and career changed a year ago when my dad died," she said. "I realized that I didn't want to have regrets over risks I didn't take. Also, this year my school is closing so that was another wake up call. It just became very clear to me that now was the time to get proactive."

With a shaky economy, Cruz said those around her have some concerns about leaving the security and benefits of the Department of Education, but she remains cautiously optimistic.

"I'm a little nervous but not too scared yet," she said, calling the camp, "an evolution of what I've spent the last 10 years of my life studying and practicing." 

With a partnership at LAVA Studio, the Bergen Avenue acrobatics studio, she has developed two five-day programs ($195 to register for one program, $350 for both) with an aim to artistically rev up young minds with creative projects, music and dance.

“Amazing Animals!,” which runs August 1-5, will be a celebration of the animal kingdom, and will include hands-on activities like collage, puppets and mask-making, according to Cruz.

“We Built This City!,” which runs August 8-15, focuses on Brooklyn and urban living and will feature drawing and model-making as well as song and dance that reflect the community.

A typical day will begin with “circle time,” where campers are welcomed and introduced to the theme of the day. This is also a time to share ideas and stories, or possibly, learn a song. The next block of time is dedicated to “creative movement, music or storytelling,” according to Cruz, who plans to enlist friends who are dance and music teachers to help out. After a snack (no dairy or peanuts, for parents worried about allergy concerns), campers will participate in an art activity. The day will end with a closing circle, where the children can reflect on what they have learned or created that day.

On the Friday of each session, Cruz will hold a “mini-performance and gallery exhibit” for parents to see the work their campers have created.

Right now, Cruz is going the word-of-mouth route in getting sign-ups for the camp. Flyers for Bluebell are on bulletin boards or in the windows of many businesses along Vanderbilt Avenue. A web site is in the works, and a Facebook page is up and running.

“Hopefully people spread the word around,” she said, adding that "registration is steady" but there are still spots in both sessions.  

And if the camp succeeds, Cruz hopes to make it a stepping-stone to a new venture: a pre-school located in Prospect Heights that focuses on the arts. Cruz is partnering with a friend on the project, and while things are still in the planning phases, she would love to see a pilot program take off next January, and a grand opening in the fall of 2012.

“It’s important to be an active member in your community,” she said of her decision to plan the school in her own neighborhood.

Cruz also has plans to do Saturday workshops for kids throughout the year – “I would like to do more programs, really build up a momentum,” said Cruz.

In the meantime, the success of Bluebell Art Camp is her main priority. She describes her vision for the camp as being a place to “create fabulous artwork, make lots of friends and certainly have fun.”