Hand-drawn sidewalk sign leading visitors to the Art Museum of WVU's Outdoor Artists event.
Join the Art Museum of WVU for the family-friendly Outdoor Artists series in the Nath Sculpture Garden. All events at the Art Museum are free and open to the public.
“The Nath Sculpture Garden is a beautiful resource, and the Art Museum of WVU is thrilled to invite the community to participate in our outdoor programs this summer. It’s the perfect way to stay connected while we are getting the galleries ready for our fall exhibition,” said Curator of Education Heather Harris.
The 2.5-acre Nath Sculpture Garden surrounds the Art Museum and brings American and international sculptures into conversation with native plants and trees.
The Outdoor Artists series offers free artmaking events for all ages every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. through July. In the case of inclement weather or extreme temperatures, activities will be moved indoors.
Kids and counselors from the nearby Rec Center Summer Camp work on air-dry clay sculptures at the Outdoor Artists event. Due to the heat, the primary activity was brought indoors but participants could venture outside for bubbles and sidewalk chalk.
The Art Museum of WVU is typically closed during the summer months, partially so the staff can install the fall exhibitions, but also because student workers who help at the front desk and in the galleries are gone from May to August.
“This summer, we wanted to realign with the community’s needs—kids are out of school, teachers are off work and summer is when everyone wants to get outside and do fun stuff,” said Virginia Affemann, program coordinator for the Art Museum of WVU. “The Nath Sculpture Garden has been such an underutilized resource for us, so this was a great opportunity to maintain programming and outreach during the summers.”
The Art Museum of WVU offers artmaking workshops, story time sessions, lectures and other events throughout the year, usually themed around the current exhibition. Focusing the summer activities on the sculpture garden and other outdoor inspirations allows for more hands-on, messy experiences.
“We’re doing more get-your-hands-dirty stuff than we typically would if we were trying to get people to go over to the galleries where we wouldn’t want them wet or covered in bubbles and paint,” said Affemann.
Ellie Conlon draws with sidewalk chalk outside the Art Museum of WVU during the Outdoor Artists event.
Ellie Conlon and her mom Heather have attended two of the Outdoor Artist events.
“I painted a pot with a princess crown,” said Ellie. “And hearts and polka dots.”
“Then, she gave it away as a gift,” Heather added.
On sculpture day, Ellie and Heather made a pink and purple caterpillar before braving the heat to play with some bubbles and sidewalk chalk outside. They took a walk around the Nath Sculpture Garden before returning to collect the clay artwork they’d left out to dry.
The Klingensmiths—Helen, her little sister Julia and their mom Susan—have also attended two of the Outdoor Artists events so far. At “Paint-a-Pot,” Helen and Julia decorated their pots with starfish (and, in Julia’s case, lots of other shapes, too). For the sculpture-making day, Helen made a caterpillar pencil holder, inspired by one of the clay models created by Affemann, and Julia made a fun, colorful creature that resembled Cookie Monster.
“It was fun,” said Helen, “but a little bit of a challenge finding inspiration.”
Julia agreed.
“It’s really fun, but it’s a little hard because I don’t know what to make,” she said.
Susan, meanwhile, was making her own artwork alongside her kids, rolling the air-dry clay into thin ropes before shaping them into delicate fruits and flowers.
“I appreciate having a space to be creative with my children outside of the house,” Susan said. “It’s great to be in a setting where there’s no limit on what you can create and the parents can participate as well.”
“We lose that opportunity as we get older,” continued Susan, “and as our kids get older. That the Art Museum has this available is really nice.”
Susan, Helen and Julia Klingensmith work on air-dry clay sculptures at the Outdoor Artists event.
There are three events left in the Outdoor Artists series:
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Papermaking, July 14: Learn how to make paper and create something with it. Add
optional seeds so the paper can be upcycled as a plant starter.
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Bubble painting, July 21: Make paintings with bubbles to see the patterns and
shapes that emerge.
- Botanic suncatchers, July 28: Make colorful botanic-inspired paper suncatchers to hang in sun-filled windows.
In August, the Art Museum reopens for the fall semester with the exhibition “Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist,” which is returning home to WVU after a tour around the country.
The Art Museum of WVU owns one of the largest collections of Lazzell’s work, and the community is invited to celebrate this West Virginia native’s stunning art at its opening reception Friday, Aug. 21, at 5 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. While the event is free, a $10 donation is suggested.
For more information about the Art Museum of WVU and its events, visit artmuseum.wvu.edu.