University Galleries Arts and Crafts

Photo Courtesy University Galleries Facebook page

NORMAL, Ill. – Families of the Bloomington-Normal community gathered at the University Galleries this past Saturday for some arts-and-crafts making fun.

The University Gallery provides supplies of cardboard cutouts, colorful construction papers, and scissors with all kinds of designs to create dioramas based off of the current exhibition on display within the gallery. 

Before children begin their project, they first take a walk by the exhibition on display, to gain inspiration for what they would like to base their work off of, and gain an understanding of why this prompt is important to them personally.

“This art making activity is inspired by the installation of Caroline Kent’s in her exhibition What the Stars Can’t Tell Us,” said Curator of Education Tanya Scott. 

The exhibition on display by ISU grad and Chicago-based artist Caroline Kent is featured around the invisible and unknown, relying on the imagination. 

This knack for depending on the creativity of imagination was on full display with the gallery’s prompt for the craft — as families at the exhibition were instructed to create a diorama off of whatever their mind could think up.

“This really gets families engaged with creating together,” said Scott. “It’s really fun getting to see what they make with one another and how they interact.”

The inventive and thought provoking topic from the exhibit has generated some interesting dioramas in the past that were on display for families to gain inspiration from. These dioramas ranged all the way from bedrooms to bowling alleys, and made innovative props to accompany the works. 

This event is held every Saturday at the University Galleries, and is completely free to attend with no previous reservation required.