Linda Zolet, formerly of the Zolet Arts Academy, has moved her painting program, visual arts prep and drama prep classes to the Bootz Culture Camp in Royal Palm Beach.
For the past 25 years, Zolet operated her popular programs out of the original Wellington Mall, starting with an after-school art program. She thanked Jess Santamaria, her former landlord, for helping get her started and his support though the years. “He couldn’t have been kinder,” Zolet said. “He was very receptive.”
Santamaria worked with Zolet to provide a studio that was almost 700 square feet.
“I started teaching drama and art. We used the center court for performances. I had 12-year-olds doing Shakespeare,” she recalled. “It was just me and my husband. Every now and then, I’d try to get interns from the high schools.”
The program continued to grow, and eventually she put her focus on the art program.
Soon after the Bak Middle School of the Arts began conducting auditions, Zolet started teaching audition prep classes.
“I was teaching the fifth-graders going to audition the basics, the fundamentals, that I was taught when I was studying art,” Zolet said. “That took off like a balloon.”
The program was remarkably successful, helping many local students get accepted into specialty arts schools.
Working with children and art has been a passion for the artist who wanted to be an actress. “I love working with children and being with them. I always have,” said Zolet, who has a degree in theater and film and many credits in psychology.
About a decade ago, Zolet met Jeanne Bootz, and Bootz was intrigued by what she was doing. A few years ago, Bootz and Zolet chatted again, at a time when Zolet was considering selling the Zolet Arts Academy.
However, Zolet wasn’t quite ready to let go of the company she and her husband Lee had built from the ground up, the business that helped them put their two children through college.
Bootz went her own way, starting Bootz Culture Camp. However, Bootz made it clear to Zolet that she would always have a place to teach in the western communities.
“I promised her, when she was ready to retire, and she didn’t want to take care of all of the other business things of running a studio, that she was welcome,” Bootz said.
In addition to her many accolades, Zolet was responsible for painting many of the original murals at Tiger Shark Cove Park in Wellington, which were taken down when the park was refreshed recently.
“I was very proud of that, and that was a unique piece of work,” Zolet said.
Her students have ranged from small children all the way up to a 93-year-old.
Zolet tried retiring, closing up the Zolet Arts Academy at the end of May, but she couldn’t stay away.
Barely three months into her retirement, Bootz called Zolet and asked if she was ready to take on a class.
“I enjoy working with her. I like her philosophy and her ideas. Otherwise, I could not work here,” Zolet said.
Bootz Culture Camp opened almost two years ago, offering classes of all types. And now, Zolet is one of the many teachers there.
“I have parents, children that I taught, bringing their 6-year-olds in to take classes,” Zolet said.
Moving from the original Wellington Mall has decreased how often Zolet interacts with those she would see normally, and she’s looking to reconnect with old friends and clients, announcing that she is back teaching her classes.
“Linda has such a wonderful way about her,” Bootz said. “It’s the drama — not that she’s full of drama — but the dramatic training.”
Bootz Culture Camp has proven to be the perfect place for Zolet in her semi-retirement.
“I’m drawn to this place because the concept here is like nowhere else. For example, she has culinary arts, she has yoga, she has social parties. The art is a part of life, in general,” Zolet said. “She’s got everything here, and I love the concept of incorporating all of the different disciplines.”
In schools, Zolet explained, art is for art and drama for drama. At Bootz Culture Camp, everything is combined together.
Zolet’s classes are longer than the class periods are in school — they’re two hours long. Once they’re over, the student goes home with a complete piece of art.
“There’s no magic to art. It’s like mathematics. If you love it, and you want to listen, and you can follow instructions, you can produce good art,” Zolet said.
Zolet would teach portrait painting and figure drawing, along with other advanced concepts, to children as young as age 6. She once had a father sit in on the class for two weeks because he didn’t believe that his daughter had created her own artwork.
“He thought I was doing all of her painting. All of it is teaching,” Zolet said. “There’s no mystery to it. There’s just the love of it. You have to be able to see light from dark. You have to get the equation — whatever’s closest to the light is lighter, whatever is further is darker. It’s very basic.”
She feels that art is important to everyone, even those who do not envision themselves artists.
“Art is more than painting and drawing,” Zolet said. “It’s opening a life to your children so they will never be bored.”
Zolet and Bootz Culture Camp has become a great partnership, allowing Zolet to continue doing what she enjoys, on a smaller scale.
In the next few months, Bootz Culture Camp will be expanding, which will increase the number of classes that will be offered.
“We use the study of cultures and celebrations throughout the world to inspire and influence what we’re doing in here,” Bootz said. “That’s one of the things that makes us different.”
Bootz Culture Camp will be holding an end-of-session special event art exhibition, Celebration of Light, on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
Bootz Culture Camp is located at 420 S. State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach, near Toys ’R’ Us. For more information, call (561) 290-2753, e-mail bootzculturecamp@gmail.com or visit www.bootzculturalartscenter.com.
ABOVE: Linda Zolet and Jeanne Bootz at Bootz Culture Camp.
