School vacation week is the perfect time for a trip to the Museums! From Monday, April 20 through Friday, April 24, the Springfield Museums presents Get Surreal, a series of family friendly activities designed to enhance the special exhibitions Book of Wonder, Cover to Cover: A Hands-on Journey with Donna Castellanos and Legacies of Surrealism: Works from the Museo de Arte de Ponce. Activities are presented free with museum admission.
“School vacation week is an opportunity for families to slow down, explore, and create together,” says Director of Education Larissa Murray. “With Get Surreal, we’re inviting visitors of all ages to step into imaginative worlds, experiment with new ideas, and discover how art can spark curiosity, storytelling, and hands-on learning in unexpected ways.”
Book of Wonder, Cover to Cover invites visitors into an imaginative, interactive world where artist Donna Castellanos transforms discarded books into vibrant mixed-media artworks and immersive environments. Blending sculpture, textiles, and found materials, the exhibition unfolds as a whimsical, multi-chapter journey—from a nature-inspired landscape of paper poppies and recycled fish to a cozy living room installation with a life-size dog made from salvaged materials. Visitors are encouraged to participate by creating portraits, collaging vintage pages, and adding their own stories, celebrating creativity, storytelling, and the enduring magic of books.
Legacies of Surrealism generously loaned from the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, highlights painters working throughout Latin America and exemplifies the deep influence of Surrealism in the region. Although created in the latter half of the 20th century, the works emphasize thematic and stylistic features that first appeared in the region during the 1930s and developed over the following decades. Through their exploration of the unconscious mind, they give form to dreamlike landscapes, ominous creature-like entities, and strange, non-representational organic shapes that seem inspired by nature.
Daily schedule
Activities available 11 am-3 pm
Automatism Drawing
Experiment with the Surrealist practice of automatism by drawing while listening to music.
3D Self Portrait
Create a 3-Dimensional Self Portrait with fun craft materials.
Surrealism Dress Up
Dress up as if you are part of a surrealist artwork.
Potato Power!
Learn how battery works and try powering a clock with a potato.
Dreamscapes
Tell a Dreamy Story and decide your own meaning.
Book Giveaway
Receive a book about Puerto Rican Art and Culture or Surrealism. One per child, while supplies last.
Book of Wonder, Cover to Cover is sponsored by PeoplesBank and supported by the Springfield Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Legacies of Surrealism was generously lent by Museo de Arte de Ponce as part of Art Bridges’ Partner Loan Network. The exhibition is sponsored locally by Connecticut Public.
MassMutual is the season supporter of the Springfield Museums.
Image above: Lucía Maya (b. 1953), The Last Heartbeat, 1997, oil on canvas, 68 3/16 × 79 1/4 × 1 1/8 in. (173.2 × 201.3 × 2.9 cm) Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Gift of the artist.