Touch Fire family fun at SCMA
Kaitlyn Willcoxon
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Arts
While touching fire may sound dangerous, it will become an event for the whole family this weekend - flame-retardant clothing not required.
This weekend's Free Family Day at the Smith College Museum of Art is meant to complement the newly installed "Touch Fire" ceramics exhibit. Coordinator Julie Zappia was inspired by the exhibit and other sculptural pieces in the museum to create the "Made by Hand" event.
During Free Family Day, children will be given the opportunity to recreate pieces from the exhibit without actually making ceramics and firing the kiln, according to Zappia.
Family Day focuses on easy and tactile projects. In the atrium where Sam's Café is located, a Northampton High ceramics teacher will bring in her pottery wheel and show people how to make basic pottery forms. Also, there will be tables for kids to make pinch pots and activities "just to get their hands on clay," Zappia said.
There will also be a station to make mini-mosaics, similar to the mosaics on display on the second floor, and an area to make mini-mobiles like one of the museum's installations.
Zappia also planned a project that directly corresponds to the "Touch Fire" exhibit. "One of the younger artists made a robot girl that looks like an anime character with big eyeballs," Zappia explained. One project at the "Made by Hand" event will have construction paper so children can make collages complete with "googly eyes."
Another related activity will be a play area for children. "[Here they] can go run around in a fun and imaginative playroom with tissue paper lotuses and twinkling lights," Zappia explained. This lotus wonderland complements the lotus pond installation in the gallery that contains ceramic lotus flowers and glazed lotus leaves.
"I think the volunteers are having a lot of fun setting it up," said Zappia.
She coordinates a veritable army of volunteers. "Some of them are hardcore Family Day volunteers." Besides the museum's student coordinator, about 40 to 50 students volunteer each year to help with the prep work, and student museum educators volunteer to give tours throughout the event.
This weekend's Free Family Day at the Smith College Museum of Art is meant to complement the newly installed "Touch Fire" ceramics exhibit. Coordinator Julie Zappia was inspired by the exhibit and other sculptural pieces in the museum to create the "Made by Hand" event.
During Free Family Day, children will be given the opportunity to recreate pieces from the exhibit without actually making ceramics and firing the kiln, according to Zappia.
Family Day focuses on easy and tactile projects. In the atrium where Sam's Café is located, a Northampton High ceramics teacher will bring in her pottery wheel and show people how to make basic pottery forms. Also, there will be tables for kids to make pinch pots and activities "just to get their hands on clay," Zappia said.
There will also be a station to make mini-mosaics, similar to the mosaics on display on the second floor, and an area to make mini-mobiles like one of the museum's installations.
Zappia also planned a project that directly corresponds to the "Touch Fire" exhibit. "One of the younger artists made a robot girl that looks like an anime character with big eyeballs," Zappia explained. One project at the "Made by Hand" event will have construction paper so children can make collages complete with "googly eyes."
Another related activity will be a play area for children. "[Here they] can go run around in a fun and imaginative playroom with tissue paper lotuses and twinkling lights," Zappia explained. This lotus wonderland complements the lotus pond installation in the gallery that contains ceramic lotus flowers and glazed lotus leaves.
"I think the volunteers are having a lot of fun setting it up," said Zappia.
She coordinates a veritable army of volunteers. "Some of them are hardcore Family Day volunteers." Besides the museum's student coordinator, about 40 to 50 students volunteer each year to help with the prep work, and student museum educators volunteer to give tours throughout the event.
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posted 11/05/09 @ 4:04 AM EST
Wonderful entertainment opportunity for the whole family!
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