32 Community Highlights: Silver Mines to Labyrinths. Laura Ingalls Wilder to Citizen King.

January 11, 2013 at 6:00 am (Highlights, Suggested Activity)
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Educators can learn about creative ways to connect comics to curriculum at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge during an educators workshop on Saturday, January 12th. Participants will learn a bit about the history of comic book art, as well as many ideas for using comics as learning material alongside common curriculum topics. This special workshop is being held in conjunction with the museum’s exhibit, “Heroes and Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross.” ($$)

From Silver Mines to Labyrinths. Fiddler on the Roof to The Tempest. Laura Ingalls Wilder to Citizen King… These are just a few of the learning highlights we’re featuring this week, including opportunities to get outside and take the family snowshoeing! Get out into your community and learn while you play! And be sure to check our list of supporting book titles to supplement the learning on the different topics highlighted each week. Purchase them for your family library, or check them out from the public library!

SNOWSHOEING

There are several upcoming opportunities to unpack those snowshoes and get out into the snow. We featured seven opportunities in Berkshire County over the next couple of weeks in our bi-monthly column, “Berkshire Family Fun.”  Other places for snowshoe adventures this weekend include Laughing Brook Sanctuary in Easthampton and Northfield Mountain in Northfield.

HISTORY

On Monday morning, January 14th, Williams College in Williamstown presents a free media presentation all about Martin Luther King, Jr. There will be a screening of Citizen King, a film focusing on King’s leadership, as well as a slideshow of important scholars and activists heading other movements.

Loudville – part of Westhampton – was once home to lead and silver mines! On Friday evening, January 18th at the Westhampton Library, families (with older students) can learn about the history of the mines (including when they were built, who owned them, and more) and the methods used to extract materials. Families can also take a look at some of the many sources used by resident Wayne Perrea to research the mines’ history at a free presentation.

Meet Laura Ingalls Wilder (as portrayed by a historical reenactor) at Storrowton Village in West Springfield on Friday evening, January 18th! The beloved children’s writer’s 1894 self will share stories of her life (both well-known and obscure) with fans and scholars of all ages. The presentation will teach visitors about the culture and daily life of a late-19th century American!

ASTRONOMY

Visit Western Gateway Heritage State Park in North Adams on Saturday afternoon, January 12th, for a free space-themed workshop titled, “Empire of the Sun,” – it’s part of the park’s space-themed January programs, and pairs perfectly with a visit to the exhibit, “Journey to the Stars: To the Solar System, and Beyond!”

Learn all about constellations, then take a good look at them through a powerful telescope at the Ramsdell Library in Housatonic during Family Astronomy Night on Friday, January 18th! Astronomer Rick Costello will teach families the basics of identifying things seen in the night sky, and families can sign up for telescope viewings. There will be hot chocolate, too!

PARENT/EDUCATOR WORKSHOPS

Navigating the Vaccine Controversy: A Parent’s Guide. At Cradle, Dr. Laila Tomsovic, ND will be discussing the risks and benefits of early childhood vaccinations, the diseases they prevent, and each vaccine recommended by the CDC in the first 6 years of a child’s life on Saturday afternoon, January 12th in Northampton. ($)

Trying to budget better in the new year? Take part in a free two-part workshop series on budgeting and saving at the Haskins Center, starting on Monday morning, January 14th in North Adams. Parents will learn the basics of financial planning, as well as some tricks and tips to help save money while shopping for a family.

Frank Grindrod of Earthwork Programs will share strategies for preparing your family for an emergency on Tuesday evening, January 15th at Green Fields Market in Greenfield during a free presentation. Participants will learn what things are best to have on hand, and what strategies to have prepared for a variety of emergencies, including a power outage, extreme weather, being lost in the wilderness, etc.

The Collaborative for Educational Services is offering a free workshop for parents titled, “Why Do They Do That?” at the Palmer/Monson Family Network in Three Rivers on Thursday evening, January 17th. The workshop is designed to teach parents of toddlers and pre-schoolers about the roots of common behaviors, as well as behavior management skills.

THEATRE

Students from Performing Arts Charter Public Schools present Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Academy of Music on Saturday evening, January 12th in Northampton. Introduce your family to the classic, exciting story, and be wowed by the talent of local teens.

Amherst Leisure Services’ production of Fiddler on the Roof hits the stage on Thursday evening, January 17th for nine performances in Amherst! The show features local actors and actresses, and it is expected that all nine performances will sell out so buy tickets early!

ANIMAL/NATURE STUDIES

Explore Laughing Brook Sanctuary on Saturday morning, January 12th in Easthampton! Families can walk along the Scantic River and search for animal tracks and signs, and learn to identify the evergreen plant life found there. Bring snowshoes to make it an even more exciting adventure!

On Saturday morning, January 12th in Turners Falls, learn about local watersheds at the Great Falls Discovery Center’s, “Watershed Investigators,” a free family program where kids can learn new ways to look at and understand the world around them using games, crafts, exploration, etc. Designed to best fit students in grades 2-5, but all ages are welcome.

Snowshoe the trails for free at Northfield Mountain with naturalist Kim Noyes, tracking porcupines on Saturday afternoon, January 12th in Northfield! Families can romp through the woods and learn about ways to find animal tracks and look for clues to the area’s past land use. Kim will share with families information about using animals signs to identify wildlife, and there will be cocoa around a campfire once the hike is done! Best for children ages 10yo+.

Kids can learn firsthand about bird banding on Saturday, January 12th at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox! Visitors can watch as birds are caught in mist nets, then banded in order to be tracked and used for data collection. Participants will also be able to help record data, and learn what the information collected from banded birds is used for!

Embark on a special treasure hunt through the woods at the Hitchcock Center in Amherst on Tuesday morning, January 15th! The program will teach visitors about using a map and compass to get to a specific location, and kids will learn about the many different types of maps (topographical, political, climate, etc.). As the trek moves through the woods, kids will also learn to solve some “winter mysteries,” too!

SERVICE TO SPANISH TO SCIENCE

Want to make a difference in your community? On Saturday morning, January 12th, youth ages 8 and up can join the Hatfield Library’s Youth Action Committee – a free group that supports kids’ ideas for community improvement and helps them put them into action!

Knitting for kids at the Monson Library on Saturday at noon, January 12th! Work on a project you’ve started, get help casting on or off, and get some advice on whatever pattern you’d like to tackle.

Ashfield Needles and Threads is hosting a free crafting materials swap at the Ashfield Congregational Church on Sunday afternoon, January 13th. Bring fabrics, yarn, needles, pattern… plus ideas and encouragement! Clear out some of your clutter while enabling another’s creative genius. Leave with ingredients & ideas for some terrific new projects for the New Year. Enjoy connecting with folks who share your interest as well as with folks who can help you learn a new craft. Bring the kids! All are welcome to come pick out materials whether they have some to donate or not.

On Sunday afternoon, January 13th, MASS MoCA screens, “Brave New Voices,” a film about young people using spoken word to show that personal experiences are political in North Adams. If your tweens/teens are interested in poetry and using language as art and activism, take them to be inspired by their peers and to find their brave voice! The film is sponsored by Williams College’s Davis Center and is part of the college’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day events.

Explore a labyrinth used for walking meditation at the First Congregational Church in Williamstown on Sunday afternoon, January 13th! The labyrinth is an ancient technique used by non-sectarian groups to encourage mindfulness.

The Berkshire Music School in Pittsfield hosts a free open house on Monday morning, January 14th, for families to tryout music classes and explore a musical instrument petting zoo. Refreshments will be served and the faculty will meet & greet.

Learn some basic Spanish at the Ramsdell Library in Housatonic on Wednesday afternoon, January 16th! This class is designed just for kids, and will teach some basic vocabulary.

The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield hosts author Bob Reiss on Wednesday evening, January 16th, who will share a multimedia presentation about his travels and work studying the Shell oil company’s efforts to drill in Alaska. Older students can learn about the controversy over Alaskan oil drilling from all sides – Reiss has worked with Eskimo groups, the military, scientists, politicians, and hunters in order to gather information, and the viewpoints on each side will be shared.

List of Weekly Suggested EventsFind out about these events and over 100 other events & activities happening all next week in our List of Weekly Suggested Events. All of our listed events are “suggested.” Please take a moment to confirm that these events are happening as scheduled, along with time, place, age appropriateness and costs before heading out.

SUPPORTING BOOK TITLES

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Arthurian Legends and Gold Dubloons at Norman Rockwell Museum

July 30, 2012 at 2:00 pm (Art, Berkshire County, Berkshire Family Fun, Video)
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World of Adventure with Howard Pyle
Family Festival Day at Norman Rockwell Museum
Saturday, August 4th, 2012

Howard Pyle (1853-1911) was one of America’s most popular illustrators and storytellers during a period of explosive growth in the publishing industry. A celebrity in his lifetime, Pyle’s widely circulated images of pirates, knights, and historical figures were featured in dozens of publications and were admired by such artists and authors as  Mark Twain and Norman Rockwell.

Explore history, as depicted in artist Howard Pyle’s illustrations, at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA!  The museum’s newest exhibit features nearly 80 of Pyle’s works, created between 1876 and 1910, the subjects of which include Arthurian England, heroes of the American Revolution, and the fate of Scottish so-called pirate Captain Kidd.

On Saturday, August 4th the museum will present World of Adventure: Arthurian Legends and Gold Dubloons, a family festival day, from 12noon-4pm. Along with opportunities to explore the museum’s galleries and view Pyle’s work, there will be scavenger hunts, performances, art making, and more! The 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry will be sharing a replica of a Civil War encampment, where families can meet soldiers and learn about wartime camp life.  The band Ampersand will perform music from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and kids can meet all sorts of soldiers, pirates, and knights!

For older kids (and parents), the museum will be screening, “Howard Pyle and the Illustrated Story,” a documentary film that follows Pyle’s work through generations of media.  Check out the trailer which gives a glimpse of Howard Pyle’s talents as illustrator, author, and mentor:

World of Adventure: Arthurian Legends and Gold Dubloons, presented in conjunction with the Museum’s current exhibition, “Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered,” takes place from 12noon-4pm on Saturday, August 4th – visit to learn about the art of illustration, American history, and legends of knights, dragons, and pirates!  Find out more about the Norman Rockwell Museum at www.nrm.org.

[Image credit: We Started to Run back to the Raft for Our Lives, 1902 Howard Pyle (1853-1911) Oil on canvas, 24 1/4 x 16 1/4 inches Delaware Art Museum, Museum Purchase, 1912]

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A Family Guide to Norman Rockwell

February 9, 2012 at 6:30 am (Berkshire County, Community Based Education, Museum)
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Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People
A Family Guide

Designed specifically for families interested in extending art studies past a museum trip, the Norman Rockwell Family Guide is full of Rockwell’s work and includes information and questions to keep in mind while examining the images.

The month of February is artist Norman Rockwell’s birthday month!  His birthday was on the 3rd, and to celebrate, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA continues to offer resources for families to learn about his art.  In addition to the works available in the museum’s galleries, families can take an even greater in-depth look at Rockwell’s art using information available on the museum’s website.  There is a biography page, which includes a timeline of Rockwell’s life and work.  Another page offers information on exhibits past and present of Rockwell’s work, as well as a slideshow of the collection.  There is accompanying information for many of the images- it’s a great way to prepare for a visit to the museum or to get a glimpse in to his artwork if you’re not able to go.

Also, newly added to the site is a special Family Guide you can download.  Designed specifically for families interested in extending art studies past a museum trip, the guide is full of Rockwell’s work and includes information and questions to keep in mind while examining the images.  Questions range from plain observations to more critical questions about what you can deduce about the inspiration for the painting, the creation process, or the cultural context of an image’s creation just by looking at a piece of art.  The available resources can supplement learning done while visiting the museum or be used at home along with studies of other artists.  Rockwell’s work is particularly useful for teaching kids to look critically at images because most of his paintings are depictions of everyday events.  The images that kids will be considering are similar to the types of illustrations that they see in picture books- it’s a logical place to begin!

For more formal educators, the museum also offers a downloadable Educator’s Resource Packet and lessons plans for secondary students, as well as programs for schools (K-12) and both a Girl & Boy Scouts.

Norman Rockwell Museum is located on 36 park-like acres in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Rockwell’s hometown for the last 25 years of his life. The Museum is open year-round; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. For more information visit the Museum online at www.nrm.org.

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A Day at the Norman Rockwell Museum

September 23, 2010 at 5:00 am (Contributing Writer, HF Contributing Writer, Hilltown Families, Karen Bayne, Museum)
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An American Weekend: The Norman Rockwell Museum

Outside the Norman Rockwell Museum

We celebrated Labor Day weekend here in New England with family.  We had a full house and more than our fair share of Bub’s BBQ to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday and his retirement, a bit belatedly but with full fan fare. We planned a family trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge.   Sadly my little ones were a bit under the weather, but my oldest and I went along with the rest of the extended family to enjoy the museum.

I was a bit concerned that my 11 year old boy child would be bored at this museum. He had begun giving me that sullen look, hoping he could fake illness. It was too late for that though. He’d already eaten heartily and bounced around the house. It was a sunny day and with the promise of a Berkshire chocolate shop hidden in my back pocket, we forged ahead. Nothing ventured, nothing gained; all the same,  I was happy to see the museum admits guests under 18 for free, so I didn’t have to venture much, just the journey. I will say that again, in case you missed it: children under 18 free, all of them! Thank you, Norman Rockwell Museum. Taking kids to a museum is hard. Parents want to do it. We want to do it well, which means doing it often and in short spurts that kids can tolerate. Allowing kids into an art museum for free not only welcomes kids but encourages families to try it out, see if it can work.

Kids are welcome to climb on the totem outside the musuem. (Photo credit: Karen Bayne)

The museum itself is lovely. It rotates art from its collection of Rockwell’s works. We were able to see some of his later, more political work, which was new to me, as well as the traditional pieces that I think of when I think of Norman Rockwell, such as the Four Freedoms. I was pleased to see Isaac and his fellow 11 year old cousin getting the jokes and jabs as we perused all the Saturday Evening Post covers, more than a lifetime’s work.

The Museum goes out of its way to make itself a family friendly place. In addition to admitting all kids up to age 18 in for free, they provide an art space where kids can make their own Saturday Evening Post covers to hang on the wall.  Isaac and my niece were more interested in the scavenger hunt through the upstairs galleries. All the grown-ups had fun with that one, spying fishing poles, paintbrushes and other items all through the paintings in the upstairs galleries. Even better we enjoyed explaining to the kids all the old fashioned looking stuff they saw in the pictures: big box shaped cameras, wired telephones, antennae radios, and old-fashioned train cars that included dining rooms. We were able to visit the preserved studio space of Rockwell himself, which had been moved from Stockbridge to the Museum grounds.  Isaac, cousin and uncle all enjoyed roaming the grounds and clambering over the sculptures.

The museum was crowded. I felt happy to have ventured forth on such an American holiday to celebrate some very American art.  Chocolate Springs awaited!  Since my husband is an illustrator, and because I truly think my younger children will enjoy the art, we are planning a full family trip back that way soon. I’m sure it is just lovely at Christmas time. Read the rest of this entry »

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World Rhythms Community Day on Sunday at the Norman Rockwell Museum

April 29, 2010 at 12:59 pm (Hilltown Families, Museum, Suggested Activity)
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Norman Rockwell Museum to Host
2nd Annual World Rhythms Community Day

Bring the family to celebrate World Rhythms Community Day in Stockbridge, MA at the Norman Rockwell Museum on Sunday, May 2nd.

Norman Rockwell Museum will celebrate the reopening of Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge studio with the second annual World Rhythms Community Day, to be held Sunday, May 2nd, 2010, from 12 to 4 p.m.

Inspired by Rockwell’s “Golden Rule,” a 1961 “Saturday Evening Post” cover emphasizing the importance of cultural and interpersonal understanding, the event will provide an afternoon of family fun with an international flavor. Activities planned for the afternoon event include:

  • multicultural music from A Beautiful Future
  • traditional kamishibai Japanese storytelling with Diane Clouet
  • cultural displays from BRIDGE of Great Barrington, and The Literacy Network
  • art-making opportunities; a display of classic 1960s automobiles by the Piston Poppers
  • a “Runaway”-inspired diner replica created by Lt. ThomasMcNulty
  • and more!

Norman Rockwell’s original Stockbridge studio will also be open to visitors, offering a unique look at the artist’s workspace during the year 1960, a pivotal moment in Rockwell’s life and career. The 2nd Annual World Rhythms Community Day is free for children 18 and under, and for adults with regular Museum admission.

Read the rest of this entry »

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