Chestertown RiverArts opens KidSPOT, a new children’s creativity center, on Saturday, April 5 from 10 to 2:00. Located right next door to the RiverArts galleries, KidSPOT is a hands-on center where 2 to 12 year olds can play, create and explore the arts and sciences including visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music, science and technology. KidSPOT will also be a venue for special creativity events and workshops for kids.
Open every Saturday free of charge to kids accompanied by their parents, grandparents, or other adult, KidSPOT provides an opportunity for kids to expand creative expression and creative problem solving — two skills that will benefit them in academic studies as well as in their journey through life.
The KidSPOT Creativity Board headed by Francoise Sullivan and made up of some of Kent County’s most creative moms, including Robbi Behr, Nicole Indenbosch, Amy Bower, Lena Ellwanger, Jody Bortz and Jane Joiner, is charged with ensuring that KidSPOT has plenty of ideas for creativity exploration.
Tambra Trevarrow, former owner of a bookshop in St. Michaels, is coordinating KidSPOT and is looking for volunteers to help staff the stations on Saturdays. Call RiverArts at 410 778 6300 if you would like to volunteer. Middle and high school students are welcome to volunteer and may receive community service credit for their participation.
A generous donation by Andy and Leslie Price enabled RiverArts to rent the space next door to their galleries to create the creativity center, and a grant by the Hedgelawn Foundation helped to furnish it. Volunteers did much of the renovation under the leadership of member Mike Heffron. Zane Carter created the renovation design, Andy Hock donated all the electrical work, Brian Cole of Cole-Diamond donated the equipment and labor to scrape the glue off the concrete, and many members put in hours of work to completer the renovation.
The new KidsSPOT logo, designed by local writer and illustrator team, Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr
Local writer and illustrator team, Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr, designed the winning name and logo. They shared their rationale, “The bold font is playful and conveys a youthful energy. The color scheme is the same as RiverArts, again connecting the two entities. We created a personified “spot” logo (named Chester) with outstretched arms that communicates warmth, welcome, and engagement.”
Four weeks of summer camps are scheduled in July at KidSPOT with morning, afternoon or all day experiences available. Mary Ann Herron, art teacher at Radcliffe Creek School and formerly, at Kent School, is the lead teacher for the summer camps and will be teaching the morning program of all four camps. More information can be found online at ChestertownRiverArts.org.
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