Fresh Eyes Column (Vol. 110 No. 19--5/07/08)

Fresh Eyes
by Caroline Downs

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Kenmare is for kids' arts . . .

It’s not about the spelling.

Or about drawing straight lines, or being able to remember your part in a play.

The new Kenmare Summer Arts Institute is all about kids and the arts, specifically visual arts, writing, and readers theatre. And several community groups have been gracious enough to allow this pilot program to take off in a couple of weeks.

The seed for this project has been with me since moving here almost eight years ago. Even though I started a reporting job with The Kenmare News, I wanted to continue working with kids. I love writing and readers theatre, and I hoped maybe my experience with Worland Middle School kids in Wyoming would translate to opportunities with kids in North Dakota.

I cannot speak completely for Jane Kalmbach, the other instructor for the Kenmare Summer Arts Institute, but I know she’s passionate about the painting and drawing she does, and she’s been working with kids, teachers and art at elementary schools in Bowbells and Kenmare for the past two years, funded by grants from the North Dakota Arts Council.

Maybe it was inevitable the two of us would start dreaming out loud about an arts program for kids in the area. What if we donated time and provided supplies and created circumstances where kids who believe they enjoy writing or drama or art could really and truly explore it? And what if we used a community setting and asked the kids to really commit to their practice for a couple of months and then share back with the community through exhibitions and performances? And what if we requested funding and support from local organizations so kids would hear about the program and every kid who wanted to try it could, regardless of allowance money or family budgets?

Our what ifs turned into lists and then formal requests, with generous assistance from the Kenmare Recreation Commission, Kenmare City Gaming, Kenmare Veterans Club, Inc., and the Lakeview Art Club, and there are some brightly colored flyers circulating in Kenmare and Bowbells to let kids and their parents know about this program. Another exciting development is a request from Berthold. It seems some young Bombers may want to join the fun, too.

We started putting this project together in the middle of March and things have happened fast. Even so, the day I’m looking forward to is May 20th, the first day of our workshops. Because with all our ideas, funding, advertising and plans, the most important part of the Kenmare Summer Arts Institute is what happens for each and every young artist when he or she grabs a brush, notebook or script and dives in to develop his or her ideas about art, in whatever form it takes.

We’re hoping to learn with and from the kids, because in our arts workshops everyone works side by side, no matter the skill level, in a nurturing environment.

If this idea speaks to you, let us know. We still have space in the three workshops for kids to join us this summer, and we hope the program will grow and expand in the future. We want Kenmare to be the place where kids can explore the arts!

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(Vol. 110 No. 18--4/30/08)
A May day in Kenmare . . .

May is literally just around the corner as you read this, and that means several things for the region:

Citywide clean-up days, high school graduation ceremonies, field work for farmers, and the unofficial launch of the summer season with the Memorial Day weekend.

But my pick of activities for the month might just be the Third Annual Kenmare Classic Car Show on May 17th, which is growing in entertainment value this year with the addition of the 1st Annual Rib Rally and the Lions Club 5K Family Walk and Fun Run.

The Kenmare Association of Commerce has been working to expand the car show, which will feature the Dakota Cruisers from Minot again as well as vintage cars maintained by other owners in the area.

And while I’ve enjoyed seeing the cars and meeting their drivers during the past two shows, there is certainly room for the event to grow, especially where food is concerned.

Thus, the Rib Rally. I haven’t noticed a barbecued rib contest offered in this part of the state, but they have a reputation as extremely popular and competitive events, with jealously-guarded recipes and ingredients kept under lock and key, sort of like the beloved GooseFest Chili Cook-Off. Teams of any size are invited to participate in Kenmare’s Rib Rally for a mere $20--and 80 percent of that is guaranteed to be paid back in prize money.

You can spend the afternoon lounging around the city park, babysitting a rack of ribs over the grill of your choice, waiting for that prime moment at 6 pm when the judges stop by your table to taste what must surely be the most tender and flavorful barbecued ribs on the northern Great Plains. Then, you can sell your samples to the car show crowd, who will be salivating from the spicy fragrance wafting over the park.

You might even get a shiny gold trophy out of the deal, if your ribs are judged among the winners or selected for the People’s Choice Award. There’s also a prize for the team with the best theme for the night, so be sure to wear your rib-cookin’ aprons, hats or other finery.

You need to get your team signed up soon, though--call Jamie Livingston at 701-385-4287 by May 12th to register and reserve your grilling spot in the park.

As for the Lions Club Family Walk and Fun Run, that’s just an excuse to get outdoors in the sunshine. The event will begin at 1 pm from Kenmare’s city park, with a $5 entry fee that benefits Lions Club projects. Anyone of any age or athletic ability is welcome to participate, and there are prize drawings.

Now, I hear some of you reminding me that May 17th is the Saturday before Kenmare High School’s graduation, and you don’t have time for this sort of tomfoolery.

But perhaps you haven’t considered the full benefit of these events. Graduation on Sunday may mean extra relatives in the house (and in the way) on Saturday. And wouldn’t a five-kilometer walk or run on a lovely springtime afternoon, followed by rib-cooking and/or tasting and walking around to look at classic cars, be a terrific way for everybody to spend quality time together (out of your way)?

Just a thought.