Long ago, there was a Mayan princess named Ixmucane (icks-moo-ca-neigh). Her father, the Sun God, granted her a very special gift- the ability to take away any problem a human could experience. Though this tale has faded into legend, the people of Guatemala have kept it alive through worry dolls, little handmade dolls crafted in […]
Continue reading →Posts
Collage
Collage, from the french word coller, or ‘to glue’, is a funky, fun, unique style that you’ve probably encountered before, in class or at museums. But do you know the history behind it? Collage was made popular by artists Braque and Picasso who began experimenting with it in 1910, and many artists followed suit, taking materials like colored paper, photos, paintings, […]
Continue reading →The Shape of Music | Rhythm
This article was written by Mete Bakircioglu and edited by Sarah Zwinklis Welcome to “The Shape of Music,” a five-part series where we go through the magic of music—how it works and what makes it sound so good. Music is an art form that we’re all familiar with to a certain degree. It’s the sounds […]
Continue reading →Hojalata Art
Hojalata (Ho-huh-la-tuh) art is a very colorful style that became popular due to the wide availability of tin in Mexico. Also called the “Poor Man’s Silver”, tin was easy to find, and the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico introduced the locals to new and unique methods of using this material as early as the […]
Continue reading →Storytime Activity: Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/No Combina
Meet Marisol McDonald, a little girl with fiery hair and a love for peanut butter and jelly burritos. This bilingual story by Monica Brown, published by Lee and Low Books with illustrations by Sara Palacios, we learn that we should embrace the things that make us different. These things make us who we are. “I […]
Continue reading →ICAN COLOR! Mountain Day
Happy mountain day! Also known as ‘Yama no hi’ Mountain Day is Japan’s newest public holiday. Japan celebrated the first official Mountain Day on August 11, 2016. Today we’re appreciating the beautiful mountains in the Pacific Northwest! “Fuji-san” is Japan’s tallest peak, at 3,776 meters To celebrate Mountain Day, artist Shayla Bailey created a coloring […]
Continue reading →Learn and Listen- Strings!
Ever heard the sweet song of a violin? The bouncing of a bass? The twinkling of a harp? If you have, then you’re already familiar with the string family! What makes an instrument part of the string family? Well, strings, of course! Their bodies are wooden and hollow, which allows sound to vibrate inside when the strings are […]
Continue reading →Aprendes y Escuchas- las Cuerdas!
¿Han escuchado la canción sincera de un violín? ¿O el bote de un bajo? ¿O puede ser el centelleo de un arpa? Si dijeron que si, ¡ya están familiarizada de la familia de los instrumentos de cuerda!
Continue reading →Animal Music!
If animals could write music, can you imagine what kind of music your favorite animal would create? Maybe a frog’s music would sound like chirping or hopping. Maybe a swan’s music would sound smooth and graceful. Maybe a duck’s music would sound like quacking and splashing! Sometimes composers use their imaginations and write their own […]
Continue reading →Storytime Activity: This is a Sea Cow
On July 23rd the International Childrens Arts Network is premiering This is a Sea Cow, a story written and illustrated by Cassandra Federman and published by Albert Whitman and Co. In this colorful book, we follow Sea Cow- or Manatee as she prefers to be called, as she comes to life on the pages of […]
Continue reading →