Inspired by Jewish values such as Kehila (Community), L’dor v dor (from generation to generation), and Shalom (Peace), campers will engage in art projects both individually and collaboratively. Using a wide range of media, they will be encouraged to express themselves through a lens of these Jewish values.  Campers will bond together, creating, exploring, trying new things, and taking risks!

About Lolly Jamerson After graduating with a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1990, Lolly moved to Portland, OR, and began her work as an artist.  She began teaching in 2013 and has immensely enjoyed teaching art to students from Pre-K through High School.  Lolly also has experience teaching privately and with adults.  She had the pleasure of working as BB Day Camp’s art instructor for the camp’s 1st summer and is thrilled to be back as an Art Specialist for BB Day Camp 2024! Lolly enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to art shows and museums, being out in nature, playing with her cats, and of course making art in her home studio!

The music camp will include a variety of activities every day.  Campers will have so much fun singing, dancing, playing music games and learning all about the ukulele!  They will learn how to strum and play chords while singing a variety of our well loved BB Camp songs.

About Jonathan Meek Jonathan has been playing and teaching music for over twenty years.  He plays banjo, guitar, mandolin, and various other instruments in a number of different bands. He has been performing throughout the Pacific Northwest for many years.  Jonathan is also passionate about music education and teaches music and middle school band at Astor, a K8 school in North Portland.  In addition to working in the public school system, Jonathan also teaches music at Congregation Beth Israel, where he teaches pre-K through 5th grade music, and co-directs the Oneg Choir and Band.

WEEK 1: Comic Strip  During this week of specialty camp, each camper will create a unique single-page comic of their very own. They will go step-by-step through the process of character design, story development, rough sketching, and finished artwork. With a focus on being gentle with error, and embracing the quirks of our individual drawing styles, campers will express their voices and bring their comic visions to life.

WEEK 2: Stop-Motion Animation Students work in small groups with Jina and Michelle, applying stop-motion filmmaking techniques and exploring different materials while learning the art of storytelling. They will teach campers the history of animation, animation principles, brainstorming, storyboarding, background layout and design, character development, editing software called Stop Motion, and introduction to using a green screen. They can collaborate with the teacher to deliver a curriculum that blends with an area of focus of choice.

About Tom Toro Tom is a New Yorker cartoonist, children’s book author, and creator of the syndicated comic strip Home Free. His drawings have also appeared in the New York Times, the Paris Review, and many other publications. But his most important job is being the parent to BB camper Elijah (and serving as unpaid personal assistant to their two cats).

About Jina Choi and Michelle Subotnick Teaching artists Jina Choi and Michelle Subotnick work together to offer students foundational skills in stop-motion animation and an opportunity to apply those skills to visual storytelling with their peers

In the spirit of collaborative art making and ensemble building, campers will learn about the excitement and joy of musical theatre performance. Engage in music-inspired movement, vocal performance, and theatre games to build communication and teamwork skills. Come prepared to share your creative spark, try new things, and HAVE FUN!

About Ashley Song Ashley is an actor, producer, and writer in Portland, Oregon. She co-founded Desert Island Studios, an independent film studio dedicated to providing more accessible film resources for independent storytellers. She has taught musical theatre (ensemble and solo performance), monologues and scene work, acting for film, and devised theatre with programs such as Teen Academy at Portland Center Stage and other theatre education institutions like Oregon Children’s Theatre. Ashley has a BFA from NYU, training in The Method at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.