"Thoughts after a Visit to Buck's Rock"
Alexandra Huber-Weiss
"When I walk onto the Buck's Rock campus, it is as if I am coming home after a long and painful hiatus. The sights and sounds of the camp are so familiar to me now that I am surprised when I come back that I have survived without them for so long. Five years and only one month each year does not seem like a long time to get to know a place. But those five years have been my developing years, and Buck's Rock has had a lot to do with that. It is because of the influence Buck's Rock has had upon my growth that it is so engrained into my psyche. I would never have gained the independence I have today had it not been for Buck's Rock. I would never have nurtured the passion I have for art today, and passion that has led me to want to study art in college and possibly beyond. I would never have had the opportunity to learn weaving or batik, two unusual areas of art, and the two that have become my favorite.
Weaving is an art for the patient and controlled. I learned this in my first year, when my loom got completely messed up, and a counselor at the weaving shop spent an entire night up to fix it. It took so much work, really hard work, but when I had finished (with a significant amount of help from the instructor), I was so proud of the product I had produced I could barely contain my joy. That feeling of elation was something I have never been able to recreate in any other area of my life. I love the feeling of taking a work of art off of a loom, finishing the last few minute details, and sitting back and looking at the creation I have toiled over. I loved that experience so much that I saved up enough money to buy my own loom, on which I can now recreate that feeling of joy whenever I want to. I want to pass on that joy to others. It is a great accomplishment to finish a piece of weaving, and every person patient enough to do it deserves to reach their fullest potential. When I was a CIT in the weaving shop, the feeling of elation didn't just come when I had finished my own projects anymore; I also felt it after having watched and helped someone finish their own masterpiece. I want to be able to do that for many more campers, and watch their faces light up with the same pride I felt after my first weaving project.
Like weaving, batik is an art that requires multiple visits and lots of time. It is an art I have only recently grown to love. I have been drawing and painting for most of my life, but haven't found a way to really tie that into my love of the fabric arts. Batik is my way to do that. It is a free form of art, which allows you to draw freely, and then make fabrics. I love watching the piece take form, as each layer of color is added onto it, and it begins to make sense. I have worked very hard in the batik shop, even helping create the batiks for the 90s tribute last year. I would love to contribute to the free-spirited and fun atmosphere that is present in the batik shop, the atmosphere that allows campers to come and relax, and in the meantime create a piece of work they are proud of. The excitement is palpable when the dry cleaning comes back, and ten campers crowd the cabinet, eager to show off their work. I want to help to create that anticipation, that love of art, that pride in one's own work. It is a feeling I think everyone should experience in their lifetimes. Buck's Rock certainly helped my find it, and now, I want to help others do the same.
I would go back to Buck's Rock for the simple reason that it is Buck's Rock. I love the atmosphere and overall feel of the place. I feel more at home there than I do in many other places I've been, including my home school. I'd love to participate again in the nurturing, open community that is there, where no one judges anyone else. I'd love to contribute to the community, so that camper's works are displayed and praised, and they begin to feel their own self-confidence rising as they enter their rocky teenage years. And I'd love to help nurture a love of learning and hard work, that eventually produces a summer of art and experiences that will last a lifetime. Buck's Rock has nurtured these qualities in me, and I'd love to be able to do that for others."
__________________________________________
