7 minute read
Notebook
kids & family
by Kathleen Donner
Kids on Ice Winter 2021
Kids on Ice Winter 2021, brought to you by the Fort Dupont Ice Arena, is three sessions for ages five to seventeen with unique at-home virtual challenges over six weeks. Through March 7, choose a session and complete a task or complete them all--It’ s up to you. Earn points by submitting a picture of your work to either bgreene@fdia.org or tagging Fort Dupont Ice Arena in a photo on social media. Prizes awarded. Read more and register at bit.ly/koiwinter21.
Each week the National Portrait Gallery shines a light on some of this country’s lesser-known history makers and their portraits. Join them on YouTube every Wednesday at 11 a.m. for Introducing… with a Portrait Gallery educator. Children will learn more about art, hear the stories behind the portraits, and even learn some new vocabulary. Select story times will be in Spanish. For children ages three and up and their families. On Wednesday, Feb. 24, 11 a.m., learn about Stokely Carmichael and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Free. npg.si.edu/event/introducing-20.
Arena Stage’s Winter Classes for Kids
Young Artists Gallery: Junk Art Club
Write the next hit musical. Get ready for your close-up or get up and dance. Online classes at Arena Stage allow young people to try something The Hill Center has a Young Artists Gallery that features rotating exhibits new or explore a favorfrom local schools. They’ve teamed up with the Junk Art Club from Eliot- ite artform more deepHine Middle School to stage their first Young Artists virtual art show. The ly. Classes offered are Junk Art Club’s work speaks to climate change and the effect of human ac- Acting for the Camera, tivity on the environment. Each piece is designed to convey the serious en- Hip-Hop Dance, Fashvironmental impacts of climate change, or to show hope that climate change ion Design, Mini Musican be slowed or reversed. For materials, the students relied on recycling a cal, and Sign and Song. diverse array of discarded items. While the public won’t be able to enjoy it Classes are $120. Needin person, they’re pleased to open this virtual gallery. hillcenterdc.org/artist/ based scholarships are young-artists-gallery. available. No experience is required. Classes are one hour and meet once a week for eight weeks via Zoom. Zoom links are emailed to registered participants. arenastage.org/education/202021-winter-classes.
Club members Jackson Sanders and Marcus McQueen with their project “Plant a Broken Tree”.
Arena Stage’s Family Creativity Workshops
On Saturdays, Feb. 20 and March 13, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., create and play as a team in this interactive drama workshop designed for families. Using theater games, visual art and imagination, family members will build connections while they explore what makes their family unique. This workshop is open to participants ages five to adult. Though the workshop is virtual, family members should be in the same physical space. Space is limited to six families. Registration is available up until the day of class based upon availability. $25 to $30 per family. arenastage.org/education/202021-family-workshops.
Lighting up Lanterns for Tet
On Sunday, Feb. 21, 10 to 11 a.m., celebrate Tet, Vietnamese Lunar New Year, in this family workshop. Honoring the power of hope in dark times, this holiday reminds us that the light of a lantern can offer cheer and the promise of better times ahead. This program, led by artist Khánh H. Lê, will include an interactive lantern-making workshop and information about how the holiday is celebrated in Vietnam. Designed for children six and older with adult companions, one registration per family. A Zoom link and a list of suggested materials will be sent to registered participants 24 to 48 hours in advance of the workshop. This program is part of Lunar New Year DC, organized by the Freer and Sackler Galleries and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. asia.si.edu/eventsoverview/kids.
Emma Natalya Stein, Hoi An Lanterns
Artists on the Rise Exhibition Call for Entry
Montpelier Arts Center presents Artists on the Rise, an annual juried teen exhibition held in the galleries of Montpelier, designed to provide teens with an opportunity to showcase their work in a professional setting. They welcome students in public or private middle and high school or home school who are residents of Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia to enter one piece of origi-
nal artwork online. Awards are given for first ($200), second ($150), and third place ($100). Submission deadline is Feb. 21. montpelierartscenter.submittable.com/submit.
White House Historical Association Student Art Competition DC Library Virtual Story Time
On Weekdays at 10:30 a.m., grab your shakers, bells or anything that makes a fun noise and join the DC Library for Virtual Story Time at facebook.com/dclibrary. This story time is recommended for kids ages birth to five. dclibrary.org.
The White House Historical Association has established a student-driven art competition inspired by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s vision of the White House as a national symbol. The theme of the competition is “The White House: An American Story,” and will solicit two-dimensional submissions from all kindergarten through twelve US students. The competition will be judged by Simmie Knox, who painted the Clintons’ portraits and was the first Black artist to paint official White House portraits, Betty Monkman, former White House curator, and Katherine Gilliland, the docent manager at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The competition will run from February to May 2021 and winners will be announced on or around Mrs. Kennedy’s birthday--July 28. WhiteHouseHistory.org.
DC Library Family Learning
Weekdays at 4 p.m., tune in to DC Public Library’s Youtube for fun and educational after-school live events and videos. Programs and content will cover themes related to STEM/STEAM, history, culture and so much more. These programs are recommended for schoolaged children and teens and their families. dclibrary.org.
Students Empowered to Tackle Climate Crisis
Washington, DC has joined 17 cities to launch Students Reinventing Cities, a pioneering competition that will enable students and universities from across the globe to share their vision for green and thriving neighborhoods. The District is inviting students to share their creative vision and fresh ideas in line with the city’s climate and housing priorities. Mayor Bowser’s Comprehensive Plan proposal has identified the area of New York Avenue, NE as a key location for future planning and analysis. Interested students can visit c40reinventingcities.org. The deadline is March 2021. Finalists will be selected and invited to submit their final proposals by May 2021. A panel of judges from the District and C40 Cities will select a winner for each city site, which will be announced at a ceremony in July 2021.
Art & Me: Lunar New Year
On Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 to 10:45 a.m., celebrate the Year of the Ox with the art doctors in this virtual workshop. From toys to tiles, see how artists have been inspired by oxen for generations and how Smithsonian conservators preserve these artworks. Then create your own ox masterpiece to ring in the new year. This hands-on, art-making preservation workshop is designed for children ages three to eight and their caretakers. The program is part of a yearlong series cohosted by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. One registration per family. A Zoom link and a list of suggested materials will be sent to registered participants 24 to 48 hours in advance. asia.si.edu/events-overview/kids.
Nationals Youth Baseball Academy and DC Public Library Launch Books & Baseball
The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, in partnership with DC Public Library, has launched a new season of the Books & Baseball program, a free, non-competitive, co-ed literature and baseball program for children ages three to five. Mondays at 5 p.m., through Feb. 22, 35-minute session includes the reading of a children’s book by a DC Public Librarian, followed by a beginner-level baseball clinic led by YBA coaches. Virtual clinic activities are easy to complete at home and focus on enhancing motor skills and learning the fundamentals of baseball. To learn more and register for the Books & Baseball program, visit nats4good.org/BooksAndBaseball.
Social Studies in a Box
At President Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW, they use Lincoln’s life to inspire their work. The stories of what happened there historically have the power to bring out the leader in any person today. Their new activity packages, Social Studies in a Box, created for families with early learners (two to eight), provide at-home programming that encourages the development of social and emotional intelligence through games, interactive play, and stories. $50. lincolncottagestore.com/social-studies-boxes.
National Museum of African Art Student Gallery
The National Museum of African Art (currently closed), 950 Independence Ave. SW, Student Gallery displays student artworks (K through 12) that were created in the classroom in response to virtual field trips, museum visits, or inspired by African art. Go to africa.si.edu/education/student-gallery and click on a school name to view student masterpieces. u
