Creativity and purpose: Evans launches 'Estes Bulldog Art Camp'

It was back in October when Owensboro artist Will Evans announced his intention to start a free art camp for the youth, after placing third in United Way of the Ohio Valley’s inaugural “Barrels of Heart” contest.

On Monday, the 42-year-old put that word into motion as he debuted the first “Estes Bulldog Art Camp” for the students of Estes Elementary School inside the Fellowship Hall of First Christian Church.

Upon getting halfway through the first day, Evans was happy to make the camp into a reality and see a strong attendance.

“It has (hit my expectations). Everybody signs up for things … and you don’t know what’s actually gonna happen, but we’ve had a great turnout,” he said. “I haven’t done a head count, but we’re like in the 40-ish (range) … and hopefully we’ll have a couple more filter in as the week (goes) on.

“It’s so uplifting. I’m like through the roof.”

The camp, which takes place from 8 a.m. to noon over the course of two weeks — with Monday through Friday reserved for current kindergarten through second-grade students and July 15-19 geared towards current third through fifth-grade students — has already seen “a great and talented group of kids,” Evans said.

“We started off with colored ink pens. We (then) went outside for a break of ‘rambunctious shenanigans’ and sidewalk chalk,” Evans said Monday. “We came back in and snacked, and now we’re about to hit the real messy watercolor stuff.”

In working with watercolors, Evans finds the medium to be “very freeing.”

“People spend their lifetime trying to master watercolors, but you can take it all the way from a kid and a kid can blow you away with something they achieve …. It’s unpredictable,” he said. “We got water drippin’, the water and the paint are flowin’ and sometimes it does what you want; but more than often, you do what it wants.”

Evans said the camp includes a lineup of guest artist volunteers taking part such as Camille Armstrong, Bobby Edge, Arianna Hayden, Mary-Katherine Maddox, Heather Maas, Zion Riley, Brittany Samsil and Coty Michelle Vance.

Participants in the camp are also able to take part in the Estes’ free summer feeding program for breakfast while local restaurants, food trucks and caterers have signed on to provide lunchtime meals at no charge as event sponsors including Basil’s Food Truck, Dee’s Diner, Gramps Coffee & Donuts, Fetta Specialty Pizza & Spirits, J’s Good Grub, Kim’s Diner, Lizzie’s Diner, Lure Seafood & Grille, Mechanicsville Neighborhood Kitchen, McHenry Event Planning, Pinky’s SnowCones & Snacks, Real Hacienda and Rolling Pin Pastry Shop.

Evans’ family — daughters Sykiah Easley, Imani Evans and Courtney Greer, along with his wife, Cassandra Evans — have also signed on to help with volunteering for the two weeks and helping with transporting meals for the students, respectively.

The camp — fully funded by construction, remodeling and design company Kizer Construction, owned by fellow artist and Evans’ friend Aaron Kizer — eventually became a venture for Estes after Evans reached out to a few potential schools and venues before getting in contact with LJ Douglas, the school’s family resource coordinator.

“... When I first started back (with Estes) in February (2023), I wanted to do something in the summer; but since I was so new, I didn’t know how to bring it to fruition,” Douglas said. “Earlier on this past school year, my wife told me (that) Will was looking (to put on) an art camp and I was like, ‘That’s exactly what I want to do.’

“Any type of camp where you can grow with other kids, meet new kids and (make) new friends … and (having) the interaction with other students and other children is important,” Douglas said. “... Having something like this, you can learn a little bit more and show your creativity.”

Besides being passionate about art, Evans said the inspiration of starting the camp was in an effort to give the youth a positive outlet, as opposed to getting into trouble and involved with gun violence, something that hits home with Evans and his family as his cousin-in-law, Christopher Green, was killed in October 2022 and his sister-in-law, Stephanie Green, died over a year later in November 2023, both in shooting incidents.

“... A lot of people like to say, ‘Well, this is what’s wrong,’ ‘I can’t stand that the kids don’t have nothing to do’ and the violence and the trouble …. The kids are only going to be trouble if you don’t give them anything to do,” Evans said. “... All you have to do is put some art, or music or anything in their hands and they will amaze and surprise you — no doubt.”

Though the camp hasn’t even completed its first week, there are talks to continue it beyond the conclusion of the second session in July.

“Hopefully we can grow it to be bigger. We set a limit of 50 (spots per camp this year) just to see the interest,” Douglas said. “... We definitely are gonna look into expanding, especially the (kindergarten) through second (grade camp), and then maybe add other Owensboro (Public) Schools ….”

“I want to see where we can go. I have no idea what the limits are and I’m not putting limits on it,” Evans said. “We’re just going to free-flow it and do what we can for the community.”