Trenton, NJ – A whirlwind of fun for children and their families is on its way to the State Museum, and it’s free! On Sunday, March 30, 2008, the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton will host its second Family Arts Festival, a one-day art and art-making extravaganza, offering a colorful array of art-making activities and entertainment inspired by cultures from around the world. The Family Arts Festival is a program offered in partnership by Young Audiences New Jersey and the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum.
The Festival will feature the clever word-play of poetry slam masters, The Mayhem Poets, the African and Afro-Caribbean-inspired percussion of Spirit Ensemble, and the joyous gospel of The Lumzy Sisters. Children and their families can make family crests, create colorful African paper masks, and create their own wearable art at the “Funky Fashions” booth. This exciting day of cultural celebration through art will take place at The New Jersey State Museum on Sunday, March 30, 2008 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The family-centered activities are designed to give everyone in the family an opportunity to share in a fun, artistic experience together. The goal of the event is to create an opportunity to strengthen relationships between adults and children through the arts. Activities are most appropriate for children ages 3 through 12. Children of all ages are welcome and must be accompanied by adults.
The first Family Arts Festival at the State Museum took place on December 2, 2007. The free event entertained nearly 150 families, despite chilly wet weather. Laurence Capo, executive director of Young Audiences New Jersey was pleased. “It was such a great day,” he says. “The sense of community was palpable. Families were engaged, excited and working together, which is exactly what was envisioned for these events.”
Performances will take place throughout the day in the New Jersey State Museum’s Auditorium, located at 205 West State Street in Trenton. Hands-on art-making workshops such as African mask-making will be available throughout the afternoon. Admission and parking are free. Parking is available in the lot behind the State House at the Capitol Complex or at the parking meters on State Street (free on Sundays).
Every effort is made at the Family Arts Festival to create a fun, safe environment for all children. Accommodations can be made so that special needs children will be able to enjoy an afternoon of creative expression. For further information, please visit our web site at www.newjerseystatemuseum.org or call 609-292-6464.
Founded in 1973, Young Audiences New Jersey (YANJ) is the premier arts-in-education resource in the state, providing high-quality performances and artist-in-residence programs to 420,000 children pre-kindergarten through 12th grade annually. Each year, thousands of teachers and hundreds of artists enhance their performances and enrich their curriculum through YANJ's professional development. YANJ’s extensive professional artist roster represents all art forms—from dance and theater to music, language and visual arts. The programs are accessible to all of the very diverse communities of New Jersey, and are designed to strengthen the arts in schools, meet local and state curriculum standards, involve families in arts activities, and enrich cultural life in our communities. YANJ is the first arts education organization designated as a major service organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and as part of the national network of Young Audiences, Inc. was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton. Projects like this and the 4,000 programs provided annually by YANJ are made possible in part through a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit http://www.yanj.org/.
The Friends of the New Jersey State Museum was founded in 1968 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) to support the Museum’s collections, exhibitions and programs through fundraising, volunteerism and advocacy. Friends Members are involved in a variety of activities and comprise the core docent group for the Museum. The Friends also operate a gift shop with merchandise related to the Museum’s exhibitions and New Jersey’s history and culture. Proceeds from the gift shop support publications of the New Jersey State Museum. For forty years the Friends and the Museum have shared a highly successful partnership.
