Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Open House was Spectacular!














Thanks to everyone who supported the Open House last weekend! It was a huge success! Each studio and gallery space was open for our fellow artists and families from the surrounding community to enjoy. It was so inspiring to see all the incredible work on display and to watch the wonderful demonstrations taking place throughout the afternoon. I especially liked viewing our very own Kidstreet artists' beautiful work on the walls and in the display cases.  
Please enjoy the images from the Open House event below, and thanks again for supporting...we hope to see you in the Kidstreet classes beginning on March 23rd!  
-Quinn







Thank you also to all of you who came to the family workshop during the Open House and created a clay tile.  It was the biggest turnout we have ever had with a total of 94 tiles created!  Bobbe and Susan did a wonderful job leading the workshop and I can't wait to get the tiles installed on the walls of the kids room.   We all love the idea of our Kidstreet community contributing to the beauty of our space.  We'll be documenting the installation process and hopefully have most of the project done by the time camp begins.

Speaking of free workshops, don't forget that this Saturday 3/28 we'll be having our first parent workshop regarding nurturing children's creativity.  It's a FREE workshop, but advanced registration is required.  

Our Spring session began this week and many of our classes still have openings.  Go here to see our schedule.  Many classes are offered in 5 week sessions and will begin again the week of April 27th.

Be well!
Melanie

Upcoming classes, workshops, and events:

3/28 Family Drop-In 10:30-11:30.  $10/per person.

3/28 Nurturing Your Child's Creativity 12-2pm.  FREE (advanced registration required)

3/28 Reception for The Ceramic Print  5-8pm featuring Paul Wandless, author of Image Transfer on Clay.  In the gallery.

Ongoing: Registration for Spring classes and Summer Camps.

Call 773.769.4226 or go to: www.lillstreet.com to register and receive additional information.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

We're feeling Spring-y

Hello all!
We hope the colds and flu that have been circulating through Chicago schools and businesses melt away with the snow and that this entry finds all of you healthy. We are really looking forward to Spring here at Kidstreet as the Winter Session comes to an end. To celebrate all the wonderful art-making during the Winter, please join us for the first all school student exhibition at our March 14th Open House. If your child was in a class this session and would like to show a piece they made in class, you can drop off work by March 10th. Contact Melanie Brown for more information: melanie@lillstreet.com

We also have the complete Summer Camp schedule up on our website and are registering now. I was looking through my files and found some wonderful images of work done in the multimedia camps in the past:



Fiber Wall Hangings







Frescoes













And one of the most fun projects ever, marionettes. I loved seeing what the kids came up with and taking video of the performances.




I will be there for the open house, so I hope to see you then!
Melanie


And now your weekly update from Quinn, our artist in residence:

It's already March?! It's the beginning of a new month and I'm very excited to explore all of the Kidstreet classes, document the action using photography, and share what I'm observing with you. Lately, I've been noticing the power of the art projects that emphasize a process-oriented approach, rather than a product-oriented focus. In preparation for the upcoming Open House on March 14, the Kidstreet students are starting to develop work they're interested in sharing with their friends and families at the event. Rather than ask students to "complete a final piece of art" we are encouraging their on-going creativity. So, this means the pieces they've chosen to make for the Open House may very well be works-in-progress come show time on the 14th!

Below are a few images from Kidstreet classes in February...

Hisham and Sam work on their drawings in Susan T's class:



Close attention paid to detail while carving a design in clay:



Thomas paints his clay piece with underglaze in preparation for the Open House on the 14th (He chose to contribute his sculpture titled "Rainbow" for everyone to enjoy!):



Here, Jayla concentrates on her painting experimentation:



...hope you can stop by the Open House!
Thanks,
Quinn


Upcoming classes and events:


3/7 Family Drop-In for family members ages 2 and up. 10:30-11:30a.m. $10 per person.

3/14 Open House. Free Workshops for the whole family, open studios, and student shows. Kids' activities from 12-3.

3/14 Family Workshop: Spring Bunnies for ages 5+. 2-4pm. $25/children $30/adults.

3/28 Free workshop for parents regarding how to nurture your child's creativity featuring Quinn Hunter, Glynnis Lessing, and Melanie Brown. Please call to register for this free workshop.

Ongoing: Registration has begun for Spring classes and Summer Camps.

Call 773.769.4226 or go to: www.lillstreet.com to register and receive additional information.
4401 N. Ravenswood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
(773)769-4226
lillstreet@lillstreet.com

Office/Gallery Hours:
M-Th:10-7:30
F-Sa:10-6
Su:10-5