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Special highlight includes animated film series that features fantastic shorts and animation films about boys and girls, fans and flowers, us and the ocean, and much more

Saturday, May 15, 2010, 11:00-2:00pm

New York, NY (April 21, 2010)

On Saturday, May 15, children and their families are invited to spend a fun-filled day of art making at the Museum of Arts and Design which opens its doors with activities designed especially for youngsters and their adult companions.

• Included are hands-on workshops where children will explore diverse materials—from organic (feathers, sea shells, pin cones)―to every day (cotton balls, pipe cleaners, hair nets, cheese cloths) to create their own artwork.

• Kids will also learn how artists transform organic bamboo into a bicycle frame for sustainable transportation during a special workshop with the Bamboo Bike Shop at the Open Studios.

• A special highlight of the day includes the film screenings of feature films and animated shorts including: Michel Ocelot’s computer animates fairytale fantasy Azur and Asmar: The Princes’ Quest, Eva Saks’ ColorForms, Bill Plympton’s The Fan and the Flower and Jonathan Ng’s Asthma Tech.

MAD’s Family Day offers countless opportunities for children to play, learn and explore. The Museum’s Open Studios, workshops and theater become the perfect place to spend a day discovering art, meeting artists—and being creative. Exploring the Museum’s exhibition Dead or Alive, children will discover how artists transform organic materials—feathers, shells, bones, plant materials, and fur—to create intricately crafted and designed installations and sculptures. Artist Educators will assist families in exploring their own creativity while enjoying the artwork at MAD and the views of Central Park.

The Museum’s dynamic new facility offers numerous programs for families including its Open Studios where artists demonstrate how to work with jewelry, textiles, wood,
ceramics, and other materials. Every Sunday afternoon, the Museum presents its popular Studio Sundays, hands-on workshops for children and their families that focus on the physicality of “making” and the sensual and tactile qualities of materials. The  workshops include introductions to various mixed media—clay, metal, fiber, wood, glass, paper, rubber, etc.—and related studio activities transforming ideas into art objects.

For more information on MAD’s Family Day, see schedule below.


MAD FAMILY DAY SCHEDULE:
Saturday, May 15, 11:00AM-2:00pm
All ages 5 and up welcome. Admission $30 per family, $25 for members. All materials provided. No reservations required, but space is limited. For more information, call 212.299.7780.

MAD Theater:
Continuous film screening of feature films and animated shorts begin at 11:30am and then 2:30pm.

11:30 AM
Colorforms, 2004 (0:08min)
When a little girl is scolded for being messy by her uptight parents she finds a friend in her grandfather. The two go into the city and celebrate Pagwa, a colorful holiday that allows them to be as messy as they like.

The Fan and the Flower, 2005 (0:07min)
A ceiling fan is ensconced in the spare room of a house occupied by an old woman. The fan’s lonely life takes a turn for the better when the old woman puts a flowering plant in the spare room. A romance develops between fan and flower until the old woman's decrepitude puts one of the lovers' life at risk. The fan must act.

Once Upon a Tide, 2008 (0:10min)
is a fictional narrative that blends the moral and visual elements of a fairy  tale to inspire us to recognize the importance of ocean conservation. A spell has been cast causing everyone to forget about the importance of  the ocean. One little girl, however, is determined to find a way to break the spell.

Asthma Tech, 2006, (0:07min)
an animated short about young, whimsical, asthmatic Winston whose health problem makes him different and isolated. Winston’s method of coping with his illness unlocks a special talent which ultimately saves the day.

La Lune, 2007 (0:07min)
In this animated short the entire universe consists of a magical tree. As a young couple travel through an incredible kaleidoscope of adventures where change is continuous, they realize that the only constant in life is love.

Moongirl, 2005 (0:09min)
In Henry Selick’s short, best known for the stop-motion classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas, a boy and his flying squirrel are caught by a fish and taken to meet the Girl in the Moon.

12:45 PM
Azur and Asmar: The Princes’ Quest, 2006 (1:39min)
Michael Ocelot computer animates fairytale fantasy features two best friends and their quest to seek the fantastic Djinn fairy.

Repeat at 2:30pm continuous loop

2:30pm ColorForms (0:08min)  

3:35pm Azur and Asmar: The Princes’ Quest, 2006 (1:39min)


4th, 5th and 7th Floor: Hands-on Workshops
11:00am-2:00pm, ongoing
Youngsters and their adult companions will participate in hands-on workshops using organic materials while enjoying the views overlooking Central Park and Columbus Circle.

6th Floor: Open Studios - Sarah and Seth Glickenhaus Education Center
11:00am-2:00pm, ongoing
MAD’s Open Studios allow visitors a behind-the-scenes look at artistic practices, and an opportunity to engage with artists. Artists will simultaneously work in the Open Studios to demonstrate and speak about their projects with visitors.

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ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design explores how craftsmanship, art, and design intersect in the visual arts today. The Museum focuses on contemporary creativity and the ways in which artists and designers from around the world transform materials through processes ranging from the handmade to cutting edge technologies. The Museum’s exhibition program explores and illuminates issues and ideas, highlights creativity and craftsmanship, and celebrates the limitless potential of materials and techniques when used by creative and innovative artists. MAD’s permanent collection is global in scope and focuses on art, craft, and design from 1950 to the present day.

At the center of the Museum’s mission is education. The Museum’s dynamic new facility features classrooms and studios for master classes, seminars, and workshops for students, families and adults. Three open artist studios engage visitors in the creative processes of artists at work and enhance the exhibition programs. Lectures, films, performances and symposia related to the Museum’s collection and topical subjects affecting the world of contemporary art, craft and design are held in a renovated 150-seat auditorium.

For more information about the Museum of Arts and Design, visit www.madmuseum.org.