Last month Lunder artist Veronica Perez led children in a series of workshops to create fabric flowers and spider poop balls to live in our new exhibits hall. The kids (and their grown-ups) got messy, learned new skills and had so much fun!
One mom had this to say of the event:
"In addition to her artistic capacities, the artist really knew kids. She understood their need to take something home, explore materials freely, and even, in the case of my son, start over when his spider wasn’t going how he wanted it! She listened to the kids and took visible joy in their ideas and this made them immediately comfortable!" - Cara Furman, Waterville
The kids created fabric flowers, which will go into an urban garden in the new museum's City Zone. In the first workshop, kids learned about some native Maine flowers, and Veronica guided them in a drawing activity, where they noticed the colors, shapes and details of the real flowers they drew. Then they got messy with tie-dying pieces of fabric, one to take home and one to give to become the fabric flowers.
In a second workshop, older kids learned how to use a sewing machine to sew the flowers. Both workshops were held at downtown Waterville's Greene Block + Studios.
Next the kids created spider poop balls out of papier-mâché for the giant spider that will sit atop the timber frame of a mill in the Mill Zone, while learning about a spider's ecosystem and why their poop is so important to it.
Support for the workshops was generously provided by Colby College Arts Office, Museum of Art, and the Center for the Arts and Humanities.
And a big thanks to all the kids who helped us create these pieces of fun art they'll be able to play with in our new space!
If you'd like to learn more about how to become involved in bringing our new exhibit hall to Central Maine, click here.
Thank you so much, I was so honored tho work with the kids and parents to create something they can be proud of! <3🌻