Mix 60 kids with six instructors, gobs of clay, buckets of paint and piles of junk and what do you get?
A Children’s Day of Art–and a fun one, at that.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown was the scene of Saturday’s workshops, culminating a week-long Spring Arts Festival there that included the MG Kids Art Show, MorristownGreen.com’s WordPlay poetry night, and a jazz coffeehouse featuring the Peter Moffitt Medicine Show.
“Blank canvases don’t last long in this room!” enthused muralist Dan Fenelon, as successive waves of kids between ages 6 and 13 quickly converted his wall-sized template into an eye-popping feast of red, yellow and blue.
Other workshops introduced youngsters to acting (with director Solange De Santis), new musical instruments (composer Ana Hernández) and eco-sculptures using recycled household items (led by Myndi Smithers, artist-in-residence at Fairleigh Dickinson University).
St. Peter’s Rector Janet Broderick, an accomplished potter before becoming a minister, was a kid-pleaser with her potter’s wheels.
And our MG Kids editor, Sharon Sheridan, teased some nifty poetry from the young artists.
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All these events were made possible thanks to an army of 70 volunteers, led by Sharon and Associate Rector Melissa Hall.
Snacks and salads were catered by Chef Melody McGinley Whitelaw of the Main Event, and parishioners chimed in with additional goodies. Jim and Vicky Wheeler and Ken Eisenhower were artists of the barbecue grill.
The Spring Arts Festival was funded in part by a grant from Morris Arts.
With a tinge of sadness, Sharon reminds participants that they should retrieve their artworks this week.
On a happier note, some of the eco-sculptures can be seen at Festival Earth, on the Morristown Green on May 19.
another year, what a great day for the children…..the rain did not keep anyone away….all of us that helped , it was a labor of love……see you next year…..chef melody