For the last year, Kayley Thompson and the Art Museum of Southeast Texas adjusted their quarterly in-person family art days to take-home arts and crafts because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But on Saturday, Thompson, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas’ public relations coordinator, and the rest of the volunteer staff helped host the first in-person Spring Family Arts Day since the start of the pandemic.
“We’re super excited to have this event again,” Thompson said. “It’s perfect weather and people can distance, feel safe and do art activities.
“We’re here to have a good time. We’re super pleased with the amount of people who came out today — especially since it’s our first in-person (event) for a while.”
Thompson added that many of Saturday’s attendees were return guests from previous family art days.
A steady flow of children and their parents gathered at one of five stations spread throughout the plaza in front of the museum.
Attendees were able to partake in creating styro prints — which is a form of printmaking — collages, a stamp station, plated portraits and were encouraged to use the sidewalk chalk on any open concrete they saw.
Bryan Davis, who came for the first time to one of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas’ family art shows with his wife and 6-year-old daughter, Mila, said they enjoyed the time outside on such a nice, warm day.
“So far so good. It gives (Mila) the ability to get out on the weekend and do some of the activities in school that she may not get a chance to do at home,” Davis said. “She’s enjoying it and she’s getting the opportunity to draw and be creative. I didn’t know she was such a good artist.”
Saturday’s theme for Family Art Day was not random, but in fact, the volunteer staff at the museum specifically curated each station to coincide with the exhibit being shown inside the museum. Each of the stations had elements from Delita Martin’s Conjure exhibit.
Thompson said Martin’s range is on full display throughout the exhibit.
“Her exhibition is these over life-sized portraits of Black women,” Thompson said of Martin, a Huffman-based artist.
“They include the colors and symbols associated with daily life. She uses a lot of blue, birds and mason jars.
“It is very layered work because she also does printmaking, drawing, painting and stitching in her prints. They’re just breathtaking to view in person because there is so much depth in her work.”
Martin’s Conjure exhibit will be shown through May 23. The exhibit, along with the museum, is free everyday.
The museum hasn’t announced its next family arts day.
jorge.ramos@beaumontenterprise.com
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