That was the title of our Studio Sunday session for January 24th. The Studio Sunday group as usual was a mix of families, couples, group of friends and adventurous individuals who come alone (for those of you who have never joined us for Studio Sunday, you get more entertainment value here than going to the movies on a Sunday afternoon).
On January 9, MAD’s new program initiative, MAD Family Day, took off in full swing. With the help of artists in open studios, museum staff, interns, and volunteers, we had an amazingly successful day of fun and learning. The atmosphere was alive with excitement as children and adults took part in museum activities that consisted of art making workshops in our special events space.
It was a wonderful experience to teach the 3D felting class to such a fantastic group of creative women. Each person brought such enthusiasm, fantastic ideas, and creative spirit, and their final pieces were beautiful. Some made sculptural works, some created wall pieces, and others created functional pieces to contain their personal treasures. Check out their fantastic work!
On one Wednesday each month, MAD opens its studios for a hands-on workshop with the pros! This is the perfect opportunity to learn a new technique or hone your D.I.Y. skills, creating a unique object to give or cherish.
During the month of August, MAD and Etsy worked together to host a series FREE hands-on workshops for crafters of all ages and skill levels. Professional artists were invited to MAD’s 6th floor classroom where they shared inspiration and techniques with visitors, highlighting their materials and process. Projects experimented with crochet, t-shirt reconstruction, 3-D embroidery and paper piercing. In case you weren’t able to make it to the Museum, Etsy shared the project live online in their Virtual Labs. In a word, awesome.
Just in case you missed DIY Thursdays @ MAD and you couldn’t catch it on Etsy’s Virtual Lab, here are the details from one of the featured projects. Straight from Nicole Licht’s blog, astulabee, this tutorial covers all the details from her 8/20 workshop. Enjoy!
Last Thursday evening, woodworker Beth Ireland demonstrated some of her woodturning techniques in MAD’s Open Studios. Her visit was part of a series of demonstrations given by craftspeople who teach at Peters Valley Craft Center, an educational facility in New Jersey that offers classes in various arts and crafts. Beth Ireland teaches a woodturning class there regularly.
In two weeks, we start what is hopefully the first of many film series done in cooperation with the Museum of the Moving Image (full details here. We’ve been offering various programs in the theater, including films, for 9 months now, but this will be the first time we’ve used our pair of 35mm projectors for a full program. So, I’ve spent much of the past few days helping to get these machines ready for use.
Some of Paul Loebach's recent work, which was featured in 'American Craft' magazine
Furniture designer Paul Loebach was at MAD last week, discussing his creative process, the new technologies he uses to create his work, and some of the issues surrounding manufacturing and design. His lecture on Thursday night and studio workshop on Saturday afternoon were part of MAD’s series with American Craft magazine called In Print/In Process, which brings artists featured in the magazine to MAD’s Open Studios to discuss and demonstrate their work. (more…)
So, here’s to those glorious basement-dwellers that make exhibitions happen. You can come up and look out my window any time you want.
