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THE STANLEY FOUNDATION

"Children naturally surround us when we show up, but pretty soon the adults are crowding in to receive their own balloon hat," says Addi Somekh. He and photographer Charlie Eckert have traveled the world bringing a peculiar type of art form to some extraordinary places. Somekh is an expert in shaping objects—especially hats—from balloons. He and Eckert spent a day this summer with 30 young people who attended an art camp in Columbus Junction, Iowa. The theme of the camp was air, and participants saw how air plays into many art processes and forms. In this globally focused camp, learning about the world is integrated into many of the activities. The balloon hat artists, for example, showed slides from some of the 34 countries they have visited, sharing stories of their cross-cultural communications.

The day camp also strives to give participants some new appreciations for their own community. This year a local man with an ultralight aircraft exhibited his grounded flying machine, answering questions and allowing students to sit in the vehicle. While campers were firing off rockets (an air and science connection), the ultralight owner flew overhead and communicated with those on the ground through use of a walkie-talkie.

Music was part of the camp too. Research turned up a song about an airship, which the students easily learned. A staff member accompanied them on accordion and demonstrated how the instrument uses forced air to make sound. Another visiting artist was a bagpipe player, who also explained the operation of the instrument and held a discussion with the young people.

Animals that utilize air in interesting ways were incorporated into the program. Aquariums with puffers (fresh water blowfish), Bubble Eye and Oranda goldfish, and frogs were in the classroom space. The most popular reptile was a bearded dragon, affectionately named Lizzie by the students.

Time was spent each day on construction of hot air balloons. Groups of three participants each designed and made a balloon out of colored tissue paper. On the last day of the program, camp stoves and long pipe "chimneys" were used to fill the eight-foot-high balloons with hot air and provide liftoff. As the balloons were launched, campers were left with the memory of their bright balloons sailing through the air.