Exploring the Arts At the Open House!

Creative Arts held a Winter Open House on Saturday, January 29th from 11am to 2pm. The Open House, a free event and perfect for all ages, offered an opportunity to explore the arts with different activity stations.

 

One of the activities offered was the instrument petting zoo! Music teachers like Roald Wilson (pictured here) helped curious participants explore different musical instruments. Roald teaches traditional piano, hammer dulcimer and kalimba. His passions include collecting (and sharing) unique musical instruments.

 

Jenna Potts, pictured here helping a visitor with a guitar, teaches Suzuki & Traditional violin. In addition to teaching at Creative Arts on Mondays and Wednesdays, Jenna is also working on a Masters Degree in Violin Performance at Longy School of Music.

Mark Dante Troiano currently teaches contemporary guitar and voice in addition to writing and performing original compositions. Mark also helped curious music lovers play the guitar during the petting zoo.

 

Participants at the instrument petting zoo experiencing the piano.

Earlier, Brent Erstad, Traditional Piano Instructor, helped students investigate the piano. Brent teaches on Wednesdays and, on the weekends, is the Music Director, Choir Master and organist at Trinity Church in Newport, RI.

Suzuki & Traditional Flute Instructor Judy Braude performs a selection of repertoire before dashing to a concert in Worcester! Judy teaches on Thursdays and also performs locally with the Reading Civic Concert Band.

The Art Department created different stations to inspire visitor's creativity! Here, Lesley King, demonstrates throwing clay on the pottery wheel to a curious student. Lesley teaches adult pottery classes including hand building and wheel throwing!

Wheel throwing is definitely messy, but also very fun! Lesley is currently in the middle of a 6 week pottery class for adults. Spring semester begins in March and the pottery class will also be offered!

The Open House also featured a theatre workshop for children ages 4-6. Children learned about Pantomime, the art of acting without talking! Student teacher, Alexander Witham as part of his Internship in theatre education, created and taught the free workshop. Here's a picture of Alexander at Halloween dressed as a Wizzard (of sorts).

More to come...Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Open House...the Musical Perform-a-thon!