Celebration Cup
November 19 & 26
2:30 - 4:30 pm

Visitors designed their own doubled fanciful drinking cup using this Scandinavian feast cup as inspiration. They also heard a Viking tale that would have been told during times of feasting and celebration.

Turtle Amulets
October 22 & 29
2:30 - 4:30 pm

Using the turtle amulet from our collection as a model, visitors created there own turtle amulet for protection and luck. The x-plorers heard about the importance of the turtle in many Native American cultures and were told a tale of how the turtle brought the world into being.

The Ojibwa Bag: Beaded Pouch
September 23 & 30
2:30 - 4:30 pm

Visitors created pouches that were decorated with vine work and small flowers similar to decoration on this pouch. The floral work was placed on a dark background also similar to the color scene used on the original pouch. Rather than beadwork the visitors imitated these traditional decorations in glitter or colored cloth.

Crocodile Masks
April 23 & 30
2:30 - 4:30 pm

Visitors created Caribbean style carnival masks that honor the crocodile. In the Dominican Republic; these elaborate masks were worn for the mid-summer Carnival of Santiago.

The Teapot House
June 18 & 25
2:30 - 4:30 pm

Visitors were inspired by the whimsical teapot in the form of an English country house with a thatched roof and created a sculptural version of the their own.
In connection with the visiting Green Doll House exhibit, Visitors also examined thatch, bamboo, adobe and rice paper as materials used in traditional house construction.

Willow Ware: Plate Painting
May 21 & 28
2:30 - 4:30 pm

During the 18th century blue and white “Willow Ware” was popular in British isles and the United States. It was a product of trade with China and it was later copied and produced in the West. Visitors listened to a tale of love and adventure that inspired a famous “Willow Ware” design. They also designed and painted their own fantasy landscape on a paper circular or rectangular plate form.

Dragons & Rain Hats
April 23 & 30
2:30 - 4:30 pm

The peoples of China and Japan envision dragons as forces in nature. One of the forces nature is the wind and rain.  These hats, worn primarily by laborers, protected you from rain as well as the sun’s heat. Visitors will hear a dragon tale, this will be followed by a explanation of the featured object, then an art activity in which they will be assisted with the creation of their own rain hat decorated with dragons.

Paper Puppets
March 19 & 26
2:30 - 4:30 pm

The highlighted object for this workshop is a cloth and paper marionette from Sri Lanka.  It represents a woman in a broad, highly decorated dress, who is wearing what appears to be a red cap.  Visitors to this workshop will hear music and a story from Sri Lanka.  Visitors will also study the way in which this colorful marionette was constructed and be assisted with making their own.

"The puppeteer inspires the puppet and vice versa". Puppetry is entertainment for children, isn't it? That is what people in Western countries may think. In non-Western countries the functions of puppetry are many and various. Apart from entertainment, it also has an educational function. It teaches the difference between good and evil, as well as proper behavior. At a more prosaic level, puppetry is used to inform people about topics like sound forms of agriculture, birth control measures, and prevention of diseases like Aids.