School vacation week is the perfect time for a trip to the Museums! From Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25, the Springfield Museums presents Art for All, a series of family friendly activities designed to enhance the special exhibition Van Gogh for All. Free with museum admission, unless noted.
“We’re excited to celebrate the fantastic Van Gogh for All interactive exhibit with creative and colorful family activities and art-making opportunities!” says Larissa Murray, Director of Education.
Designed to engage 21st-century audiences in the 19th-century art of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Van Gogh for All is an experientially rich exhibition that uses modern technology and participatory learning to introduce audiences to Van Gogh’s genius, his personal struggles, and his creative process. Visitors can literally step into Van Gogh’s artwork to discover the unusual perspective of The Bedroom, go behind the shutters of The Yellow House, or become part of one of the artist’s famous landscapes. The exhibit offers multiple photo opportunities and space to create your own art—with stations for drawing a still life or a portrait. Many of the elements in the exhibition are interactive, offering the visitor the opportunity to interact with the artist’s work, including a 12-foot-wide, electronic version of the iconic The Starry Night.
Daily Schedule
Starry Night Mobile, 11 am-3 pm
Create a kinetic sculpture based on one of artist’s most iconic works. (The Starry Night, 1889)
3D Room-scape, 11 am-3 pm
Design a 3-dimensional room inspired by Van Gogh’s unique perspective. (The Bedroom, 1888)
Pipe Cleaner Portraits, 11 am-3 pm
Vincent created more than 40 self-portraits! Twist and shape one of your own with this colorful everyday object. (Various works, 1885-1889)
Sunflower Fans and Community Vase, 12-4 pm
Sunflowers were one of Van Gogh’s favorite subjects. Help assemble a floral arrangement, then keep cool with a botanical fan (Various works, 1887-1889)
Planetarium Show: Vincent’s Starry Sky, 2 pm
Utilizing forensic astronomy, discover the planets, stars, and astronomical phenomenon that lit up the sky in late 19th century France and the Netherlands when Van Gogh painted them in striking blues and yellows. Limited seating; additional fee.
Special Presentation – Wednesday, April 23 only
Tanglewood Marionettes perform The Fairy Circus, 1 pm
Featuring over twenty beautifully hand-crafted marionettes and performed by a solo puppeteer, The Fairy Circus is a showcase for turn-of-the-century-style trick puppetry. The puppets will dance, play instruments, juggle, contort, transform, and “float through the air with the greatest of ease,” all to the best-loved music of favorite composers. The presentation includes a lively puppetry demonstration prior to the show, and a Q&A session following the performance.
Van Gogh for All is produced and designed by Dolores Kohl Education Foundation, in collaboration with Luci, and fabricated by Ravenswood Studios. The exhibition is sponsored locally by bankESB, PeoplesBank, Teed Capital Management of Raymond James, and Connecticut Public.
MassMutual is the season supporter of the Springfield Museums.