Our Dragon Story

Create and play in ASI’s new Family Gallery experience, designed by kids, for kids. Opening February 19.

What do dragons eat? Where did they live? How do they get around? Fifth grade students at Hope Academy explored these questions, and more, in the creation and design of ASI’s newest Family Gallery.

An ASI staple for 10 years, the Family Gallery on the Turnblad Mansion’s Lower Level is a space where ASI’s youngest visitor to play, touch, read, and explore through imaginative and immersive exhibitions that rotate frequently.

This year, ASI turned directly to experts in play to help design the newest Family Gallery experience. Sixty fifth grade students from Hope Academy joined local artists Magdalena Mora, Seth Eberle and Bart Buch, and Trent Stadler to develop an experience inspired by ASI’s featured exhibition, Paper Dialogues: The Dragon and Our Stories. The result is an inviting gallery filled with play elements, illustration, and sculpture, where visitors can explore dragon stories for themselves.

But it didn’t happen overnight. Over a three-month period, the students and local artists joined ASI staff for a series of monthly workshops. Each workshop explored a different theme and built toward the final design of the new gallery. In one of the final workshops, the students presented their ideas for interactive elements to be built in the space. The class then voted on their favorites, and it was ASI’s

challenge to make it a reality. The students became art directors, offering final approval of the plans for fabrication and construction of the Family Gallery experience.

The students also were creative directors for the illustrated scenography by Minneapolis based illustrator and writer Magdalena Mora. Magdalena Mora has been a local force in creating titles that transform current events into compelling stories. Find Magdalena’s book I Wish You Knew (written by Jackie Azúa Kramer) that focuses on deportation and a divided family, pictured from the dual perspectives of a young student and her teacher, is available in the ASI Museum Store.

Be sure to check out Our Dragon Story after it opens on February 19, and experience the stories created by the children at Hope Academy for yourself.

Dragon Story Contest

Calling all young authors! Inspired by the upcoming exhibitions, Paper Dialogues and Our Dragon Story, write a Dragon Story of your own inspired by your culture and/or community. ASI will publish excerpts from the winning stories in the next issue of Posten, and the full stories at asimn.org. Stories must be original works created by students (preschool through Seniors in high school) featuring dragons and may not be longer than 500 words. Adults may assist children in the preschool category. Stories are judged in age categories for creativity and ability to tell an excellent tale. Age categories are organized by the following: • Preschool: age 3–5 • Elementary School: age 6–10 • Middle School: age 11–13 • High School: age 14–18

Deadline: Fri, February 11, 5 pm

Submissions: Email your story to lindseyt@asimn.org with the subject line “ASI Dragon Story Contest” Please include • Student name and age • Parent/Guardian name and contact phone number For more information, please contact Lindsey Tscherne, Youth and Family Programs Coordinator at (715) 222-9109 or lindseyt@asimn.org.