Worcester Art Museum’s Fall Community Day will bring ancient Silk Road stories and cultures to life
Museum admission will be free on Sunday, November 3
The stories and cultures of the ancient trade routes connecting the Far East to Europe will come to vivid life during “Travel the Silk Road,” a free community day at the Worcester Art Museum on Sunday, November 3 from 10am to 4pm. This popular fall event—held in partnership with the India Society of Worcester and the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts—will include music and dance performances from India; Chinese fan, origami cranes, and sand art activities; story time; a Passport Discovery activity exploring art from the Middle and Far East; and more. Admission to “Travel the Silk Road” Fall Community Day is free.
In addition, two special Silk Road-themed art workshops will be offered for both youth and adults; separate fee applies to workshops. Activities and programs for the whole family are listed below; the full community day schedule, including program times, is available at worcesterart.org.
- Lighting of clay Diwali lamps by the India Society of Worcester—10:30am. Diwali is India’s most celebrated national holiday and displays of light heralding the embrace of knowledge over ignorance, of light over darkness.
- Drop-in art-making—10 am to 12:30 pm and 1pm to 3:30 pm: Japanese origami cranes; 10 am to 12 pm and 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm: Chinese fans; 10 am to 1 pm and 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm: sand art rangoli designs from India
- Music and Dance—The India Society of Worcester presents traditional, modern, and contemporary Indian performances in the Museum’s grand Renaissance Court.
- Story Time—11 am and 1 pm. Gather in the Museum Library for a Silk Road story and stone art activity,
- Passport Discovery Activity—10 am to 3:30 pm. Pick up a passport at the Membership Table in the Lancaster Lobby and get stamps as you follow the Silk Road through the Museum’s galleries.
- “Picture Yourself on the Silk Road” selfie station in the Lancaster Lobby—10 am to 4 pm
- Food—Food and snacks will be available for purchase from the Grub Guru Food Truck, featuring Asian Fusion Street Food, and the Museum’sSIP Cart. (Please note the Museum Café will not be open on this day.)
- Special Workshops—Two art workshops, one for youth and one for teens and adults, will explore Silk Road cultural themes in more depth. Separate fees apply.
ROAR! Lion Masks, with Sue Slepetz
Ages: 5-12 years
10 am-12 pm
Join in the fun and create a lion mask inspired by the traditional ones used in the Chinese Lion Dance! Using brightly colored paint, lace, feathers, fabric, and more you will create your own wearable art. All materials included.
$27.00. Pre-registration required, space is limited. Register online, by phone (508.793.4333), or in person in the Higgins Education Wing.
Bonsai Tree Sculpture, with Christopher Khounbanam
1 pm-3 pm
Using copper wire, glass beads, and natural materials create a small sculpture of a bonsai tree. Learn about the traditional practice of bonsai tree and transfer the aesthetic approach to sculpture. Teens and adults welcome – no experience necessary. All materials included.
$35.00. Pre-registration required, space is limited. Register online, by phone (508.793.4333), or in person in the Higgins Education Wing.
Museum parking is free, but limited. For directions and a map of additional parking around the Museum, visit: http://www.worcesterart.org/information/directions/. Complete information about Worcester Art Museum exhibitions and programs can be found at worcesterart.org.
About the Worcester Art Museum
The Worcester Art Museum creates transformative programs and exhibitions, drawing on its exceptional collection of art. Dating from 3,000 BC to the present, these works provide the foundation for a focus on audience engagement, connecting visitors of all ages and abilities with inspiring art and demonstrating its enduring relevance to daily life. Creative initiatives— including pioneering collaborative programs with local schools, fresh approaches to exhibition design and in-gallery teaching, and a long history of studio class instruction—offer opportunities for diverse audiences to experience art and learn both from and with artists.
Since its founding in 1896, the Worcester Art Museum has assembled a collection of 38,000 objects: from the ancient Near East and Asia, to European and American paintings and sculptures, and continuing with works by contemporary artists from around the world. WAM has a history of making large scale acquisitions, such as its Medieval Chapter House, the Worcester Hunt Mosaic, its 15th-century Spanish ceiling, and the Flemish Last Judgment tapestry. In 2013, the Museum acquired the John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, comprising two thousand arms and armor objects. It continues to commission and present new works, such as 2017’s installation of the interactive Reusable Universes and Organic Concept works by Shih Chieh Huang.
The Worcester Art Museum, located at 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester, MA, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and the third Thursday of every month from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $16 for adults, $6 for children 4-17, $14 for seniors 65+ and for college students with ID. Admission is free for Museum Members and children under age four.
On the first Sunday of each month, admission is free for everyone. Museum parking is free.
For more information, visit worcesterart.org.