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Kids create model of downtown Huntingdon at Huntingdon County Arts Council kids art summer camp program

Scale model of downtown Huntingdon on display

By Colette Costlow 3 min read

HUNTINGDON -- Using foam, cardboard and plenty of glue, local kids created their version of downtown Huntingdon this summer, featuring hometown staples such as Westminster Woods, Standing Stone Coffee and the Old Bridge.

Nine children enrolled in Huntingdon County Arts Council's kids art summer camp program worked on the project from the end of June until the beginning of July, said instructor Kelly Cunningham.

Called "Kindness lives here," she said the 4-by-8-foot display tells a collective story about their small town, celebrating community, kindness and home.

Because the display captures today's version of downtown Huntingdon, Cunningham and council members are planning a time capsule set to open in 25 years, including a book featuring details about the display, along with a separate booklet enclosed with the students' reflections.

When the participating children are older, they can reflect on the town's evolution, board member Mary Louise Dietrich said.

"This is a slice in time of Huntingdon right now, and the children are going to be our future," she said.

Cunningham, who works for the CIU10's Galaxy Program, came up with the scale-model idea while revising her original project. While the display required collective student work, she said the book detailing the display's features and their meanings was their take-home project.

For the next three weeks, two classes of kids -- separated by age -- worked on the display Monday through Friday until it was completed in mid-July.

She let the students choose which buildings, businesses and sections of local infrastructure were included in the scale model, as some kids had special connections to some organizations.

"With the kindness lives here theme, I wanted it based around memories that they had in the town," she said.

She also made sure to feature the town's businesses and organizations that contribute to their community using signs, she said. They also included a small version of the Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 steam locomotive rolling over the Old Bridge.

It was amazing how the students spoke about the business owners or community members who inspired them, she said.

Including details relative to 2026 will bring back memories in 25 years when the students reopen the time capsule as adults, Dietrich said.

While the model is currently on display at the Huntingdon County Arts Council building, council members are searching for its permanent home in the community, along with the time capsule's location. For now, the council is keeping the scale model on display in their basement, available for public view.

Dietrich expressed her enthusiasm about the display, attributing its success to Cunningham's hard work and the students' creativity.

"This is a place where you can still walk down the streets and still have children who are thinking creatively with their hands," she said. "And it's amazing."

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.

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