ArtVentures

ArtVentures is a collection of programs for adults interested in unique art experiences. Topics relate to dance, writing, music, visual arts and theater and include lecture-demonstrations, hands-on workshops, talent development and arts enrichment events. Each program includes four weekly sessons. All materials are included in the fee.

In ArtsVentures' pilot phase, programs were conducted for residents of Duncaster, Seabury, Convenant Village, Glastonbury Senior Center, and Bushnell volunteers.

The first two programs created for ArtVentures are Living Rhythms and Family Fables.

Living Rhythms
Toes tap. Fingers snap. Shoulders sway. This action is all in the ArtVentures four-part pilot program Living Rhythms. Lynn Grossi, a master teaching artist with a dance studio in Vernon, conducts the program. Each session includes a lecture on the history of tap dancing, a simple movement lesson appropriate for all who attend, and video clips featuring the choreography of the teams of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Shirley Temple and Bill Bojangles Robinson.

Lynn demonstrates the difference between tap shoes of today and those of the past, enlightens the audience about the variety of musical beats, and after teaching a few steps, lets the residents choreograph a dance that she then performs. On the last session, Lynn might entertain the residents with a rousing tap number featuring her own "Grossi Seniorettes."

The Living Rhythms program of ArtVentures was designed by Lynn Grossi and Bushnell Education department staff member Linda Regulbuto, who is a professional dancer and serves on the board of the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists.

Family Fables
Family Fables is an ArtVentures program that combines writing, finger puppets, and oral storytelling techniques to produce a creative experience for adults and an intergenerational activity for adults and children.

Creatures from the animal kingdom provide the inspiration for both the puppets and the fables. Each participant is given a packet containing color photographs, scientific information, and the mythology of various creatures. Using special clay, paints, and fabric, each participant creates two finger puppets.

From past experience, we know that whimsy might reign - with a polka-dotted butterfly, a lavender pony, or a blue-eyed panther. For others, the activity might inspire more somber reflection. To inspire their writing, participants are given another packet of handouts. They include a character chart, proverbs from many cultures, a list of personality defenses, and a simplified form to structure a story's plot. With the instructor's help, participants create a simple story to share with a child.

Family Fables was created and is taught by Zita Christian, a member of The Bushnell's Education department and a multipublished writer of fiction and non-fiction.

Workshops in the Making
Check back for information on new workshops on writing memoir, readers' theater, hand-crafted books, making music, and much more.