Have you ever gazed into the sky and wondered what’s up there? Lots of artists, lots of scientists, and lots of artist-scientists have too! This month, Andell Family Sundays will help guide your imagination into the galaxy, so come join us for some-far out fun.
If you can, start your day at LACMA by visiting Mapping the Infinite: Cosmologies Across Cultures, an exhibition that explores how people throughout history and from all parts of the world have used art to explain the universe, how it works, and what it means. You will see paintings, sculptures, books, and more, from ancient times to this year, that are about the world above and beyond earth and our relationship to it. Do we live in the only universe? What do people from different times and different cultures think about the cosmos? Does the universe change through time? These are all ideas that you’ll explore in this vast exhibition. Also, if you like ancient Egyptian art, here’s a chance to see some incredible sculptures of your favorite deities and a painted sarcophagus too! Pick up a scavenger hunt at the NexGenLA table on the Smidt Welcome Plaza to help guide you through the exhibition.
When you are ready to make your own art, head outside to find the Andell Family Sundays workshops designed for all ages. They are located behind the Resnick Pavilion facing Levitated Mass, which is the name of LACMA's BIG ROCK!
Do you like to feel free when you make art? How about splattering paint from a marker? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, then we have the art workshop for you. Artist Beatriz Jaramillo will show you how to create your own cosmology through automatic drawing. You will start by closing your eyes and making lines with gold and silver metallic markers on black paper. Then you get to splatter and make dots with brightly colored paint markers. When you start connecting the dots you've drawn, you will discover constellations in the forms of animals, mythical creatures, plant forms, and whatever else comes out of your imagination. You can add planets, moons, and other celestial bodies too. I met some young artists who found constellations in their drawings in the form of dragons and kitty cats, and a universe filled with suns.
Do you like to draw and color and cut and paste and draw some more and tape and cut and paste? Who doesn’t? Artist Gloria Westcott will give you all the materials you need to create your own layered universe. You can start by drawing a planet or celestial body on colored construction paper, then add color or details with colored pencils and markers. If you want, you can cut it out and glue it on black paper. Then, keep layering more drawings or paper cut outs of celestial objects onto your universe. You can add a clear acrylic sheet over your sky map and use shiny markers to add even more elements. Some young artists have shown me their artwork that have included a fiery planet, a shooting star, and a constellation that looked like letters from an ancient alphabet.
Our Fiber Makers Circle also takes place at Andell Family Sundays and is a great way to relax and work with things like yarn and fabric. You can learn embroidery, crochet, and how to make a pom pom, or bring your own project from home.
Andell Family Sundays: Guide to the Galaxy takes place on November 10, November 17, and December 8 from 12:30–3:30 pm. Keep your eyes on our full calendar of programs for even more fun activities.