ACM Interactivity 2016

At the airport, on my way home from a busy week away at the Association of Children's Museum's yearly conference, Interactivity.  This year, the field traveled to Stamford/Norwalk, CT where SteppingStones Children's Museum was our host.
My head is still spinning from all the great contacts and sessions shared at the conference. I got to present two sessions at ACM and will explain a bit below:

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Cultivating Good: Bringing ideas into Action! (Thursday)

I presented this session in partner with Cathy Saunders and Megan Fischer from Providence Children's Museum in RI. My half began with an overview of my FINE Arts Residency Project at CM Pittsburg, THE NEST, an overview of the form and how EMPATHY motivated participation. Next, groups created TABLEAU based on a collective story they made based on a scenario where an unknown creature has made its home in the conference hotel...
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How did it get here? Why is it here? Where is it going next?

After tableau time, groups got to work making temporary homes for the stranger to reflect their narratives about it.  Super cool work! 

Groups building a "nest" to fit their group-made narratives explaining an identity of an unknown being...

Groups building a "nest" to fit their group-made narratives explaining an identity of an unknown being...

Groups building a "nest" to fit their group-made narratives explaining an identity of an unknown being...

Groups building a "nest" to fit their group-made narratives explaining an identity of an unknown being...

Engaging Visitors, Bolstering Literacy and Strengthening Community Through Theatre (saturday)

On a panel with fellow theatre artists working in children's museums; Reba Short from Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine and David Hutchman from Please Touch! Museum in Philadelphia. On the last morning of the conference, people were tired after a long week so...we played bingo to keep things lively.  My co-presenters are both puppeteers who perform on their exhibit floors and create original performances for/with young people.  I was so inspired by their work!  Since I didn't take any photos of our session in progress, I want to share some image of the other's work:

David Hutchman from Please Touch Museum in Philly, PA as BEAR who turns up in the museum in surprising places...

Reba Short from Children's Theatre/Museum of Maine with tiger puppets she constructed inspired by illustrations from a children's book

I presented on promoting LITERACY through creative drama via Toddler Wednesday at my museum, Children's Museum of Southern MN and Installation Performances. Lots of collaboration and fun!