What a joy to spend a couple days at Children's Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton, NY. Though we initially wrote a grant to create an original installation around bay ecology through NYSCA, we changed course to use resources to enhance existing programs at the museum working with the Latino community. 

In a wonderfully diverse community, the Hamptons is home to spanish-speaking immigrants from all over Central, South America and Mexico.  The museum positions itself to support families' transitions through engaging programs, access to services and community-building. I got to participate in two programs during my visit: a program for mamas and babies birth to 16 months and an afterschool family program based around science curriculum called Ciencias.  

  Later in the day 30 families arrived at the museum to continue working on a semester-long unit on Sharks for CMEE's Ciencias program. Children shared a dance piece they choreographed on shark feeding patterns and sculpted different shark breeds out of clay.  

   

     After the children went off to play in the museum I worked with parents to create underwater elements for the display of the sharks.  In a couple weeks the museum will host an event to celebrate and showcase the group's work on sharks and will feature an ocean installation with the hanging shark sculptures.  Parents always create artwork alongside their children and work on their own projects too. 

I loved being part of these rich programs at CMEE and look forward to seeing how theatre engagement is incorporated into their practice.  What a trip! Below is the woman behind all of these programs at CMEE, Leah Oppenheimer.  As a social worker/social justice educator focusing around early education, this woman is my new hero!

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

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:

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!