kids

An updated “Romeo and Juliet” next week

The Lincoln middle schoolers will perform “Romeo and Juliet—Together (and Alive!) at Last” on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m., and Thursday and Friday, Nov. 19-20 at 7 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium. The play tells the story of eighth-graders Pete Saltz and Anabell Stackpoole—in love but too shy to even look at each other—and what happens when their friends concoct a scheme to perform “Romeo and Juliet” with Pete and Anabell in the title roles. What could possibly go wrong with the set, costumes, props, or actors? Find out during this bustling, high-energy comedy about friendship and first crushes, the magic of theater and Shakespeare’s great love story. Written by Sandra Fenichel Asher and based on the book by Avi, the play is appropriate for audiences of all ages but would be most easily understood by third-graders and above. Running time: 90 minutes plus one intermission. Tickets )$5 for students and $10 for adults) will be sold at the door.

Holiday craft workshop at First Parish

The First Parish Church will hold a children’s Advent workshop on Sunday, Nov. 29 at from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. at the Parish House (14 Bedford Road). Children will meet to make holiday ornaments and crafts. Adult volunteers are needed; contact Kathy Cronin at kathycronin@firstparishinlincoln.org if you would like to help.

Stanley Rowan photos on exhibit in December

Lincoln resident Stanley Rowin, who has photographed for magazines including Glamour and Scientific American, is having an exhibit of some of this work in the Lincoln Public Library during the month December, with an opening reception on Wednesday, Dec. 2 from 5:30-7 p.m. The show will include portraits of several Lincoln residents and scenes.

Legendary Shakespeare director to visit library

Tina Packer will be at the Lincoln Public Library on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. Packer is the founding artistic directory of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass. She has directed or starred in a variety of Shakespeare’s plays and has taught William Shakespeare at numerous universities including Harvard, MIT, NYU and Columbia. She’s appeared in various productions of the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as productions for the BBC. Her book Women of Will: Following the Feminine in Shakespeare’s Plays was published this year. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

Trunk or Treat is now on Friday

“Trunk or Treaters” now have two more days to get your costumes and/or trunk decorations perfected. Park and Rec’s Trunk-or-Treat event will now be held on Friday, Oct. 30 from 5-6 p.m. in the Brooks Gym parking lot.  If you are planning to be a “trunk,” please enter the lot between 3:30 and 4:15 p.m. No cars will be allowed to enter the lot after 4:15 pm. Trick-or-treaters can start at 5 p.m.

DeCordova releases video with drone footage

The deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park just released this video of the park incorporating aerial drone shots. It’s a useful tool for convincing out-of-town friends and relatives to visit Lincoln.

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum will debut two fall exhibitions on October 3 and is offering several new children’s activities next month.

Fall exhibitions

Drawing Redefined presents the distinctive work of Roni Horn, Esther Kläs, Joëlle Tuerlinckx, Richard Tuttle, and Jorinde Voigt, artists who have maintained a discipline of drawing as a constituent element of their artistic practice. For these artists, drawing is a forum for experimentation, a study, and an expansion of the vocabulary of images that recur in their art. In these artists’ hands and through their bodies, the traditional practice of drawing is transformed into an exploration of time and space manifest in forms beyond conventional linear representation in photographic, painterly, and sculptural work. See the Drawing Redefined web page for more information on the accompanying catalog.

The Sculptor’s Eye: Prints, Drawings, and Photographs from the Collection—drawn from deCordova’s permanent collection, this exhibition features works on paper and photographs by more than 30 artists who are primarily considered sculptors. Their work reveals the multitude of connections between two- and three-dimensional art-making processes and the means by which artists nurture and expand their creative vision. On view are photographs of sculptural forms that explore shared issues of space and volume. Pencil and charcoal drawings display the inventive ways in which artists experiment with spatial illusion on flat surfaces with graphic gestures, contours, and colors. Plans for large-scale art installations exemplify the tradition of artists considering architectural and environmental spaces. Altogether, these works emphasize the interplay of materiality, line, and form across artistic media. For details on the artists int he exhibition, see the Sculptor’s Eye web page.

Drawing Redefined and The Sculptor’s Eye will run through March 20.

“Enveloped by Drawing”

In conjunction with October’s worldwide drawing festival, The Big Draw, families are invited to participate in creating a temporary large-scale drawn sculpture in the galleries with artist Julia Von Eichel. “Enveloped by Drawing” takes place at the deCordova on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2-4 p.m. For families with children of all ages. Free with admission or membership.

Lincoln Nursery School collaboration

Also on view through November 11 is What Does the Imagination Look Like?—an educational exhibit presented in partnership with Lincoln Nursery School (LNS). The interactive exhibit delves into the process of imagination, drawing directly from young students’ conversations and explorations.

During the past academic year, LNS faculty and deCordova’s Learning and Engagement staff explored the process of imagination through children’s inquiries, negotiations, and transformation of materials. This exhibit showcases their research and makes visible the importance of imagination in students’ learning. Visitors to the exhibit can read LNS students’ conversations, view images drawn by the students, build a collaborative city, or create their own unusual sound score.

In conjunction with the exhibit, noted author and educator John Nimmo and LNS faculty will hold a dialogue on the topic of “The Story Behind the Story: Teachers as Collaborators in Supporting Children’s Inquiry” on Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 7-9 p.m. The program will include discussion about the role of the teacher in making curriculum decision and explore the challenges of collaboration, the potential of learning through conflict, and the importance of seeing teaching as a process of inquiry. Registration and $10 fee required.

Support for deCordova’s Family Learning and Engagement Programs has been provided in part by a grant from the Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation.

Ongoing kids’ programs

Throughout the year, the deCordova offers two recurring monthly programs for children. The next ARTfull play for ages 2-5 will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 10:30-11:30 a.m., and the next ARTfull Explorations for ages 2-12 will be on Sunday, Oct. 1 from 1-3 p.m.