ROXBURY - A weeklong program this August will bring together art-making, environmental study and community organizing in an effort to reframe how young people understand local water systems.
“Creative Waves,” a day camp for participants ages 10 to 17, will run from Aug. 3 through Aug. 8 across two sites in the western Catskills: Kirkside Park in Roxbury and the Catskill Water Discovery Center in Arkville. The program is organized by the Roxbury Arts Group in collaboration with multimedia artist Dennis RedMoon Darkeem.
Rather than treating water as a background resource, the program asks participants to approach it as subject, material and civic concern. Over five days of activities, students will take part in water scavenger hunts, experiments with sound and water-based instruments, wearable art projects, fabric dyeing informed by observation of local waterways, and collaborative banner-making.
A central component of the program is youth-led planning for a public event, the Gathering Waters Community Celebration, scheduled for Aug. 8 at the Catskill Water Discovery Center. There, participants will present artwork and lead portions of the program for families and community members.
Each participant will create at least one “art vessel” or symbolic work reflecting their relationship to water or the watershed. Those pieces will be exhibited during the final celebration.
The camp is part of a broader programming framework developed by RedMoon Darkeem that links ecological systems with cultural memory and identity. His work often draws on Indigenous and African American traditions, incorporating storytelling, craft practices and historical references into contemporary visual art.
Public programming tied to the project includes adult workshops and a collaborative installation series titled “Community Drops,” all culminating in the Aug. 8 celebration.
The Roxbury Arts Group noted that tiered pricing is available for participants. Registration and additional information can be found at roxburyartsgroup.org or by calling 607-326-7908.
