By Monica Pitrelli
Issue 90 - January 2010

We dare you to have a conversation with Art Boot Camp’s Lincoln Gabriel and not be personally moved by his sincere passion for art, creativity and children in general. This is a man who traded his military boots for mop brushes, his fatigues for free-form frescos. But one thing hasn’t changed – his love for boot camps. This one, however, doesn’t require any 5am group jogs.

EL: We heard you’re a former military man. If so, what inspired you to open Art Boot Camp?
LG: I was a military officer on a scholarship for 10 years. I was also a double major in two equally diverse disciplines, Philosophy and Economics. But the calling to try to help make a creative difference for children around the world was just too strong to ignore. When I left the military and opened ABC, I took an incredible leap of faith to set my dream into motion. 
     
EL: Hmmm, the military and art – two subjects that don’t normally go hand-in-hand! How has your military experience translated into your art camps?
LG: In the military, I played a significant role in formulating leadership doctrine for the Army. Also, during this time I realised the paramount importance of developing a sound personal value system. I want to impart these principles to my kids at ABC.

Every activity in life – be it military tactics or painting a beautiful painting – involves a certain degree of discipline in order to take an idea from conception to fruition. While the term “discipline” in the military context has many draconian and harsh implications, we teach discipline from the perspective of a child’s eyes in an interactive, fun and non-intrusive way. Children possess boundless creativity, yet need boundaries in order to apply it effectively. We give them that.

EL: What types of programmes do you offer? 
LG: We have Wee Camp (ages 3-4), Kinder Camp (ages 5-6), and Little Camp (ages 7-12). Classes run concurrently and last one hour and 15 minutes. We are starting our Master Camp soon, which will be offered to selected kids who exhibit exceptional potential and interest.

Our programme is quite unique because we don’t dictate the steps that a child must follow. After we teach a skill or concept, we place equal emphasis on eliciting the kids’ input, which is a cardinal step widely ignored in art education today.

EL: So your dream has been realised. What’s in store for you now?
LG: We’ve only just begun! I hope that children across the globe will ultimately have access to the programmes. A major initiative to open up overseas franchises is currently underway.

ABC is driven by pure passion! Woohoo! I’m so proud to say it because it’s so true. When I see a white Land Rover traversing the sand dunes of Africa with a logo for UNICEF and ABC on both sides of the vehicle, and we’re giving out crayons and paper as well as rice and water – that is when my dream will have come true.

www.artbootcamp.com.sg