Following the Moon: Sharing the Love

Virginia MOCA_6-8 year old_MonoPrints_2012

Welcome to Following the ‘Love’ Moon…August 17- September 15, 2012. This week we move through the Disseminating Phase, early morning Tuesday, September 4 through early morning, Saturday, September 8…this gives us plenty of time to ‘share the Love’ that we have currently discovered in the Art/Life that we live.

It’s been fast paced, and it’s supposed to be…this is the flat out, action oriented, make it happen time of year. When we balance this urge to move, move, move with some quieting time in meditation it all shakes out with some sense of sanity. I wish us all to be well with that piece….quieting down for even short periods… in the midst of so much going on is simply not easy for our species.

As Summer comes to her close we wind down the art camps that are such a rich and varied time of the year at Virginia MOCA. I think of some of the ways that well known creators express this limitless frontier of  kids and creativity:

Virginia MOCA_NaturePainting_9-11 year old_2012

 Nature painting complete:

Virginia MOCA_NaturePainting_2012

And the show must go on…

MOCA_2012_Animals-in-Time_Performers

During the last week of camp, when the 6-8 year olds are bouncing about like Mexican jumping beans, it can help to think outside the box a bit.

These little ones  are tired after a fully scheduled 3 month vacation. When I was growing up mom would get us out of bed and breakfasted and then she’d open the backdoor and with a sweep of her hand she’d usher us out saying, “Go outside and play, I’ll whistle for you at lunchtime.”      We were as free as the birds to explore and experience the many adventures all around the ‘listen for the whistle’ radius.

So, to make the week into a wonderland, my assistant, high school student Tabitha, (shown here holding the sign) and I spontaneously hatched a plan (on Tuesday) to have the wee ones create a play (on Friday).

Our camp, titled ‘Art Outside the Door’ gave them a starting point.  From there our11 artists chose to become a piece of the environment: trees, grass, water seen in the foreground, and animals …from a saber toothed tiger to a squirrel…including the majestic deer.

Tabitha wrote our screenplay and directed our charges. The kids named the play ‘The Animals in Time’. All week we worked on costume and props design. On Thursday we had our first dress rehearsal and Friday we worked out the kinks…laughing all the way….with curtain at 2:30.

The play opens to a gathering of parents and museum staff with the stage empty.  Our Narrator, Tabitha, reads from a large book of fairy tales and begins with:

Once upon a time…the building we’re in now didn’t exist….everything was grass, trees, water…and animals.

The play closes after much awareness of the changes in the environment… and a lot of rollicking and frollicking among the animals… with our Narrator inquiring:

What will the future be? The future is in you. The Earth is in your hands. Will you just sit by, or will you take a stand? The Earth is a canvas you are its master. Make the right choices and we’ll live happily ever after.

(Take a bow) 

Share on Facebook