Welcome to a new year of Second SundAZe Family Day @TMA! Today’s virtual activities include storytime in the galleries, close examination of a work on view, and a hands-on collage activity for people of all ages.
We’re thrilled to once again offer free admission to the museum on second Sundays. Reserve a free ticket (occupancy is limited to 30% of normal capacity to facilitate distancing in the galleries), then head over to the museum this afternoon for one last look at Arizona Biennial 2020—today is the final day!
Second SundAZe Family Day @TMA is presented by The Stonewall Foundation.
Virtual Storytime
Morgan Wells, TMA’s curator of education, has a story for you. Watch Morgan read Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall.
The crayon in the story turned out to be much different from the red implied by its label, but the artwork you see behind Morgan in the video lives up to its name. Red Symmetry is fiber art by Denise Yaghmourian, currently on view in Arizona Biennial 2020. Today is the final day of the Biennial exhibition, and your last chance to get a closer look at the intricate construction of Red Symmetry before it leaves TMA.
Denise Yaghmourian, Red Symmetry (detail), 2019, fabric, thread, eyelets on wood panel, 53 x 53 in.
Color and Portraiture
Portrait of Mother and Child is currently on view in the Goodman Pavilion in the exhibition Tense and Release: Art and Mood from the Permanent Collection. The artist’s identity is unknown; it was created between 1775 and 1799.
Take a moment to explore this work. What do you see first? What do their expressions tell you about the people? How about what they are wearing? Did you notice the woman’s red dress? Color is a great way to give personality or even tell the viewer something about the subject of a portrait. What do you think the red dress tells us about the mother? Make sure to check out this painting the next time you visit TMA!
Unknown Artist, Portrait of Mother and Child, 1775-1799, oil on canvas. Estate of Frederick R. Pleasants. 1977.24
Make a Self-portrait with Collage
Portraits can be created with a variety of media and techniques, and one of the easiest to work with at home is collage. Here’s a simple portrait-making project using cut paper. You can incorporate textured or patterned papers, fabric and even lightweight embellishments if they are available at home.
You’ll need:
- Construction paper or other colored paper
- White glue or glue stick
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Mirror
