Second Stage youth camp celebrates the arts in Amherst

The camp, which is held in honor of the late Donna Meeks of Amherst, was held June 22 through June 26. Melissa Fitzgerald, office manager of Second Stage, said there was full attendance of 35 kids.

Second Stage at 154 Second St. in the town of Amherst is a nonprofit that operates the former historic church building with a mission to inspire creativity and community by providing a place where cultural, civic and economic vitality of Amherst County is encouraged. John Vandervelde, outgoing president of Second Stage, said almost half the kids enrolled in the camp took part last year, the first time it was held.

Ed Mikenas, a county musician who took part in the camp, said cultural enrichment of youth was among its goals.

“It also builds their perspective in the world because they're learning how to express themselves in different ways,” Mikenas, who taught children drumming skills. “The music activities provide neurological integration, meaning that they're doing things with their bodies that are also happening up in their brains, so their ability to problem solve is going to be bigger.”

Mikenas said the kids picked up much progression in their learning during the week that showed improvement.

“We have returnees from last year who are even better than they were in both musical skills and verbal skills,” Mikenas said.

On the morning of June 24, many of the children took shade from the heat in the brand-new outdoor stage that was dedicated in late April. The outdoor stage is named in honor of the late Dudley A. Raine Jr., a physician who practiced family medicine and served the Amherst community through various civic organizations.

Vandervelde said the outdoor stage is an efficient feature for the grounds and drew more than 100 people when it was dedicated.

“What's great about it is that it's ground level, and so kids, they can climb on it, they can walk on it, they can do whatever safely,” Vandervelde said. “This is the first time, really, that I've seen this stage used like this for kids and I'm just super pleased with it.”

Robert Meeks, son of Donna Meeks, said his mother truly loved the arts and the camp is a memorial to that passion.

“What makes this special is that I know that if she were here, seeing all of these kids, just having fun, but having fun through the arts, music, and dance, and visual art, and storytelling – she was big into the arts herself,” Meeks said. “She was very musical, and I know she would be smiling down in a smiling down now on these kids who are just enjoying being together, learning more about music and more about visual art and dance.” 

Meeks said his mother, a musician, sang in the choir at Amherst Presbyterian Church just down the street from Second Stage and played the French horn and guitar.

What is special this year is to see how much the camp has grown in number of kids, he said. It has nearly doubled this year, he added.

“It's just a joy to see them come every day excited,” Meeks said. “They get out of their cars and run downstairs with smiles on their faces … But what might even be more special, other than the growth, is seeing the kids who have returned from last year. So many of these kids that you see around here were in this camp last year. They've grown, not just in their size, but as human beings. And I think what might be the most special thing is seeing them excited to be back.”

Meeks, an arts teacher, said it was rewarding for camp organizers to observe the kids’ collective journey of growth and how much fun they had.

“It's really cool to see them enjoy the arts and enjoy being with each other,” he said.