You Do The Dishes Can Provide Your Kids With An Artistic Summer

By Gary Nager

Do you have a budding young artist living in your house? Has he or she ever been to You Do the Dishes (YDTD) Paint-Your-Own Pottery Studio & Coffee Bar in Tampa Palms?

If not, now is the time to go and check out not only the studio, but owner Cindy Kozlowski & her long-time friend Herb Pinder’s great Summer Art Fest program. Although kids who attend the camp still get an opportunity to paint their own pottery, too, the Art Fest program is so much more than that. The one-week sessions (which begin Monday, June 11, and are run 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every weekday) for ages 7-13 include printmaking, drawing, watercolors, acrylics, collages, pottery painting and origami.

Herb, who first met Cindy shortly after she opened the studio in 1998, first came into YDTD to paint some pottery. An artist/educator who received his formal art training from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and from USF, Herb has led the summer art program for kids at YDTD the last eight years.

“Every year, we have themes for the Art Fest program,” says Herb. “One of this year’s themes is folk art. We will show the kids a variety of different types of folk art and have them create projects in those and other themes and artistic mediums. We definitely get a tremendous response to this program year after year.”

Last year, he adds, the kids had fun creating fish statues in the style of renowned artist Frank Gehry.

He admits that more girls than boys participate in the Art Fest annually, “But, there are always boys participating, too. I try to give them serious art training but always remembering that they are children, so of course, it has to be fun for them. We get a lot of repeat students, plus siblings of past students who have participated.”

For only $210 per session, which includes all materials used and created by each student, your child can have supervised fun — and get an art education — in YDTD’s safe, nurturing environment. Please note that all Art Fest students have to bring their own lunch and snacks each day.

 

And So Much More!

In addition to the annual Art Fest summer camp, YDTD also offers opportunities for kids under age 15 (although kids under age 7 must be accompanied by an adult) to join the studio’s Summer Paint Club. For only $100, your child receives unlimited Monday-Friday studio time, paints and firing costs for the entire summer (June 8-August 21), between 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Paint Club students are separated from the Art Fest kids and the cost of the bisque (unpainted pottery), food and drinks is in addition to the $100 program cost. Students also can bring their own lunch and snacks.

And yes, adults can still paint during the summer months, too. Call YDTD (see info below) for details.

YDTD also is an outstanding coffee bar serving delicious Joffrey’s coffee (and coffee drinks), Tazo hot teas and Arizona iced teas, as well as Otis Spunkmeyer cookies and other baked goods, from brownies and muffins to an ever-changing variety of cakes.

And, Cindy is proud to announce that YDTD has added several flavors of Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, which is available in cones and cups at very fair prices. And, considering our office is right next to YDTD, it’s hard for me to not stop in every day to get a scoop of Moose Tracks or Cookies & Cream.

And of course, YDTD is still a great place for kids parties, girls night our and other events and even offers a coupon in conjunction with The Soap Factory (located in another part of Tampa Palms), a studio where you can design and take home your own bars of soap. If you make a bar of soap at The Soap Factory, you get a reduced price (with the coupon) on a paint-it-yourself soap dish at YDTD.

For more information, call You Do The Dishes (15357 Amberly Dr., Shoppes of Amberly plaza) at 975-1700 or visit YouDoTheDishes.com.