OWL’s PaintFest Offers Hands-on Learning for All Ages

By BILL BELLEN
ONEONTA

On Saturday, March 22, community members gathered at the FoxCare Center for the highly anticipated Oneonta World of Learning’s PaintFest event. Hosted annually, PaintFest allows children and adults of all ages to express their creativity through various means. OWL highlights this event in its roster each year as a defining experience for the organization’s goals of childhood enrichment and hands-on learning.

PaintFest has had a long-standing role in local youth education and communal habilitation, with the first of these events being held in November 2008.

“[PaintFest was] one of the very first events that we conceived of and organized. We actually weren’t even officially a not-for-profit at that point,” Rachel Rissberger, sitting OWL board secretary and first organization president, said when asked about PaintFest’s legacy. “We do a lot of things with paint, but it’s really an art exploration day, [and we] usually tie in some kind of science or other learning component with it.”

The theme of this year’s program was nature. As one walked through the FoxCare Center plaza, every direction was filled with artistic and scientific youthful exploration. Many organizations sponsored stands, with groups ranging from clubs run from the local SUNY Oneonta campus to radio stations like WSKG having a presence.

In keeping with the event’s namesake, various experimental painting stations were scattered about the complex. Some stands featured edible paints to decorate sweets and treats for little ones to feast on, while sponsored stands from clubs such as the SUNY Environmental Science Club and SUNY International Genetically Engineered Machine team displayed all-natural painting materials and fluorescent paints, respectively. Children and adults alike could be seen using special fabric markers and paints to color their own unique OWL T-shirts.

“You know, it’s all about the kids, but I also enjoy seeing the parents let themselves be kids,” said Samantha Harvey, current president of the OWL board and teacher at Milford Central School.

Though paint was surely a focus, PaintFest offered a plethora of options for attendees interested in a variety of fields. Girl Scout Gold Award recipient Isabel Griswold hosted a stand dedicated to writing creativity and literacy, with free children’s books being given to any passersby. Just a few strides away, Huntington Memorial Library’s Donna Foote happily read stories to crowds of excited young listeners.

Nature and creative expression collided, as stands educated children on tree rings and creating terrariums alongside foam towers that were built up, just to come tumbling down and be rebuilt once more. Positive energy could be felt everywhere you went, with a smile painted on the face of nearly every participant.

This PaintFest was also a special opportunity for many of the Girl Scouts in the region.

When asked about the event’s role in assisting Girl Scouts, Rissberger said, “Today is also a Girl Scout badge day, because every level of Girl Scouting has an outdoor artist badge associated with it, so Girl Scouts who come today who do all of the activities will complete the requirements to earn their Outdoor Artist Badge.”

Girl Scouts, both new and old, found a place at this year’s PaintFest. With the completion of her Gold Award on the horizon, Skylar Gargash hosted a stand detailing how to make homes for local pollinators and the importance of their role in our region’s ecology.

“Pollinator houses are basically a habitat you can have in your back yard or garden which produce good guides and a new habitat for pollinators,” Gargash stated. “These are very low maintenance and all you have to do is set them up in various location[s], and then stuff them with sticks, [pine cones, and paper straws].”

The OWL PaintFest was a resounding success for the organization, with a sizable turnout and children toting home untold numbers of new crafts and creations. This event continues a lasting legacy for experiences like this in the community; experiences that inspire people of all ages to open new avenues of creativity and express themselves in fun, experimental ways with their family and friends. OWL volunteers are already beginning excited preparations for more upcoming events, one highlight being this summer’s “Fly to Mars with OWL” in July.

The OWL website and Facebook page are frequently updated with new information regarding events, both past and present, and there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer. Those interested in donating time or money to OWL’s cause can visit https://sites.google.com/view/oneontaworldoflearning/home for more information.