RECAP // ARTLab: Weave a Memory

Everyone had so much fun creating our collaborative installation in the Lobby last Saturday for ARTlab. Visitors of all ages worked together to assemble a massive yarn web inspired by Chiharu Shiota's piece Trace of Memory. Instead of trapping memories, it felt like we were encapsulating giggles in our web box!

ARTLab February 20th 'Still life, a performance by Adam Milner' 

Our next ARTlab, 'Still life, a Performance by Adam Milner,' is on is on Saturday February 20th and will take place in the Mattress Factory Lobby. The Pittsburgh-based artist will be recruiting help from visitors to bring his piece together during ARTlab from 1 - 4. Stop by to help him out, or just to see what he is up to! This event is FREE with museum admission.

  

RECAP // Teen Art Cooperative

The Teen Art Cooperative poses for a photo with artist Thad Mosley outside of his studio in Manchester.

If you come to the Mattress Factory on a Thursday afternoon, you might just see the Teen Art Cooperative in action - making, discussing, dreaming and scheming. Building from the success of the Summer Art Cooperative, this FREE program for high school students is in its first year and currently boasts twelve young artists. during the course of the school year, the teens will have the opportunity to meet with ten different teaching artists for workshops, plan three of their own events, talk with museum staff, and outline and expand upon personal goals.

The Cooperative aims to make the Mattress Factory an open space and a resource for teens in the same way that it is for professional artists. We believe that there are many different and exciting ways to exist as a creative individual in the world, and we want to showcase that. By examining tons of ideas and practices that fall under the umbrella term of art, we hope to provide the teens with more skills and confidence as they begin choosing their own paths and transitioning into life after high school. We think that art jobs are tough jobs, and we want to take them seriously, and make some friends along the way!

Artist Ceci Ebitz demonstrates a method of dyeing fabric with natural materials.

The teens come from high schools all over the city, including Avonworth, CAPA, Chartiers Valley, The Ellis School, Mars Area, Oakland Catholic, Obama Academy, Seneca Valley, and Total Learning Academy. In their first two months, the teens have done all sorts of things. We visited artist Thad Mosley in his studio and learned about his woodcarving and life practices, perfected over the span of seven decades. We planned our first Cooperative event and screen-printed event flyers, under the guidance of Jen Rockage and Lauren Bailey at Artist Image Resource. We learned various ways to dye fabric with natural materials with the help of local artist Cecilia Ebitz. We have made connections and gotten to know each other better. It's just the beginning and we are so excited for what's to come!

Adia Taimuty-Loomis, a junior from Mars Area High School, says that she looks forward to coming to the Cooperative every week. "Coming down here to my favorite art museum every Thursday and spending time with some amazing people is the absolute highlight of my week... Learning about the ways these fellow artists think and work influences my art and makes me a better artist myself. I love learning about the different occupations artists can have by going to places like AIR."

A Co-op teen screen-prints a flyer for their first event in December

Join us for our first event Gala in the Graveyard on December 10 from 6-8 p.m. in the Mattress Factory Lobby at 500 Sampsonia Way. Dress as your favorite departed icon of art or music. Admission is FREE, refreshments and fun activities are provided, and the galleries at 500 Sampsonia Way will be open for you to explore! We hope to see you there.

RECAP // Mini-Factory: FUTURE!

What does the FUTURE look like? What does it hold? Our intrepid group of young artists at the Mattress Factory explored the FUTURE through Rob Voerman's current installation Faculty,now on view through summer 2016.

Using some great children's literature as our jumping-off point, our Mini-Factory program embarked on a journey to the FUTURE with our imagination. Faculty demonstrates one point of view of what can happen when we allow ourselves to be inspired by the built environment. Rob Voerman extrapolates futuristic architecture from the Cathedral of Learning while balancing the concept of discussion and exchange of ideas. Seats and tables have been built into the fabric of the installation for viewers to linger and soak in their surroundings... inspiration takes hold. Built from recycled materials such as cardboard and stained glass, Faculty shows one artist's use of ready-made materials for construction - perhaps the wave of the FUTURE.

After exploring inside and out, we sat down to create our own rendition of FUTURE buildings. Using various recycled materials, students allowed the FUTURE to capture their imagination ... and onwards, forwards, and upwards we went ... with our eyes on the FUTURE.

Mini-Factory is an interactive learning program for children ages 3 - 5 years old and their parents or caregivers. Using contemporary installation art, parents and children will explore new ideas and concepts from the everyday world. Join us at 10am on December 12th for OPPOSITES!

RECAP // Mini-Factory: MOVEMENT!

MOVEMENT is all around us! We move millions of miles everyday as our planet revolves around the sun in orbit, as our cars take us to school and back, as our eyes explore the birds playing in the trees... Grass and trees sway in the breeze, legs run to catch butterflies, and a soaring baseball can break a window. Mini-Factory looked at many different types of MOVEMENT as we explored Julie Schenkelberg's piece The Color of Temperance: Embodied Energy where objects, once whole, have been broken, bent and intricately arranged to create a new story. These objects express an embodied sense of MOVEMENT, they have been removed from their original context and transformed from their original state.

Next we looked at Garden Installation by Winifred Lutz. What moves in a garden? The grass is swaying in the wind, a bird zooms through the air on his way to the other side of the neighborhood, raindrops drip drip drip from the morning storm. There is MOVEMENT everywhere we look, and so too our eyes move to follow all of this movement. 

Alternatively, Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Dots Mirrored Room provides us tons of fun MOVEMENT as we stumble around each other, moving from dot to dot reminiscent of the game, Twister. We also took time to explore our reflections; surrounded by mirrored walls provide a type of MOVEMENT which goes on forever and ever, infinity.

So why not play some MOVEMENT based games? We took colorful balloons, pumped them up and let them go ... watch how they move! Zig zag, zoom, around and around, up and down! Can we make our bodies move like that? ... you bet. We were moving all over the lobby mimicking our crazy balloons - fun! Next we paired up with our grown-ups and played Sculpture and Clay; one person starts as a lump of clay on the ground, and one person is the sculptor moving the clay into different positions until - viola! - a masterpiece.

Mini-factory is an interactive learning program for children ages 3 - 5 years old and their parents or caregivers. Using contemporary installation art, parents and children will explore new ideas and concepts from the everyday world. Join us at 10 am on September 26th for ZOOM.

RECAP // A First-Time Account of "Diaspora"

In a new series titled "A First-Time Account," we invite new visitors to the Mattress Factory to share their experiences at the museum. The account below is from a student at the Winchester Thurston School.

Yesterday I visited the Mattress Factory for the first time ever. This is somewhat surprising considering I've lived in Pittsburgh my entire life. Upon immediate arrival at the Mattress Factory, it seemed like any normal museum, however I soon began to understand that visiting an interactive museum was a completely unique experience. As a young child I grew up with constant visits to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, however in recent years the only art museum I have visited is the Carnegie Museum of Art. I always enjoy my visits to the Carnegie, and I even wrote my Freshman Research Project on the Teenie Harris exhibit. However, there is clearly a difference between an observational style art museum and an interactive, hands-on art museum. Neither style of museum is necessarily better, however an interactive museum allows viewers to become more engaged in the art. This is especially valuable if you are a casual museum-goer like myself; I am interested in art, but I do not have an extensive knowledge of it, and I tend to have a short attention span.

One piece that particularly captured my attention was Diaspora by Ryder Henry. This exhibit's architectural style was unlike anything I've seen before. It was a combination of Sci-Fi and modern architecture. The buildings, roads, and cars were intensely detailed despite being made from recycled materials such as Trader Joe's coffee cans. This made me feel a personal connection to the artists, as Trader Joe's is one of my favorite stores. It surprised me that such an intricate work of art could be created from objects that usually end up in a landfill. Of course I've made my fair share of school art projects with various repurposed materials, however I can certainly say that they were not nearly as successful as Diaspora. Diaspora also had other intimate details like small flashing lights on certain buildings; I loved the subtle detail that these lights added to the town, especially because they weren't overly bright and obnoxious and I only noticed them upon close examination. 

Another detail I found notable in the town was a sign labeled "Automat" in English with Arabic writing below. I don't know Arabic, so I have no idea what the Arabic writing said, however it made me wonder wether Ryder Henry included this as an arbitrary detail or if he was making a subtle statement. Perhaps the artists forsees a future where Arabic is just as widely spoken as English. (Of course, this is by no means in implausible statement; Standard Arabic is the 5th most spoken language worldwide, while English is 2nd most spoken.) However, this is all my own personal speculation; I don't know the artist's true intention.






















My favorite part of Diaspora may seem strange, but I really appreciated the physical placement of the installation within the museum. Diaspora is located on the fourth floor next to two windows. As I was looking at the installation, I eventually became distracted by two people smoking outside on top of the neighboring home. Afterwards, I approached the windows and looked around at the surrounding Northside neighborhood. I thought it was really interesting to compare the present-day Northside to Henry's futuristic vision. Although this was my first visit to the Mattress Factory, I am certain that it won't be my last. I know I'll be back soon to check out all the new installations coming in May.

RECAP // A First-Time Account of "Danaë"

In a new series titled "A First-Time Account," we invite new visitors to the Mattress Factory to share their experiences at the museum.

Hello, my name is Max Pollack. I'm currently a senior at Winchester Thurston High School and will be attending George Washington University in the fall. I recently made a visit to the Mattress Factory and I left in awe. The exhibit that caught my eye the most was James Turrelll's Danaë, on the second floor. When I first stepped into the room to view this exhibit, I thought that I was just staring at a blank blue screen. As I approached the screen, I started to think that I may not be looking at a screen. As I found myself befuddled I decided to put my hand up and touch the screen, only to find that it wasn’t that at all. There was just another room with the lighting set up perfectly to create the illusion that there was a blue screen. 

It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen, and as someone who's mainly interested in sports and isn’t really that into art, I was amazed by this creation. When I normally see a painting or a sculpture or something I just think to myself “oh that’s interesting" or "I’ve seen that before,” but with this I was just truly amazed. I had never thought of art as being expressed in this way. When I think of art, I think of the traditional painting on a canvas, or maybe a sculpture.  The idea of presenting art in this more abstract form was very new to me, and this is why it was so intriguing. When I initially entered the room it was dead silent and I was expecting the screen to turn into a video clip or something, and as I slowly walked forward I could not believe what I was seeing. The reason I am so obsessed with this creation was I think a result of the surprise factor. It is really just something that I think everyone needs to see. I definitely will look forward to seeing more of James Turrell’s work in the future because of how unique and original he is, and I value originality over everything else.  

RECAP // "Factory Installed" Exhibition Opening Reception

Friday's opening reception of the new "Factory Installed" exhibition was nothing short of a great time.  A huge thanks to everybody who came out to celebrate these great new works with us!

This exhibition at 1414 Monterey Street features new work created in-residence by artists Jacob Douenias + Ethan Frier, Julie Schenkelberg, Anne Lindberg, and John Morris, and will continue through Spring of 2016.

"Living Things" by Jacob Douenias and Ethan Frier. Photograph by Kelly Keever.

"The Color of Temperance: Embodied Energy" by Julie Schenkelberg. Photograph by Kelly Keever

"shift lens" by Anne Lindberg. Photograph by Kelly Keever.

"Life, Afterlife" by John Morris. Photograph by Kelly Keever.

For more pictures of the exhibition, make sure to visit our Flickr Page.

RECAP // Coffee Date with Julie Schenkelberg

This past Saturday, MF Members attended a special behind-the-scenes Coffee Date with upcoming artist in residence, Julie Schenkelberg.

A Brooklyn-based Cleveland native, Julie has been living at the Mattress Factory for the last four weeks in the artist residence around the corner from the museum. During the last month, Julie has been working on her installation on the second floor of the Mattress Factory's 1414 Monterey Street gallery. MF Members had the exclusive opportunity to meet Julie and see her work in progress.

Julie Schenkelberg shows MF Members around her work in progress

Julie's materials: Stacks of china filled the neighboring gallery

Julie was very warm and open as MF Members began to flutter into her partially-completed installation. With a warning to watch where you step, Members immediately began asking questions.

After a walk-through of Julie's installation, she led the group into the next room which she called her "storage space."

MF Members enjoy a cup of coffee

The Coffee Date concluded with coffee, donuts and discussion. We learned that Julie uses domestic objects from the home, evoking "a dignity about the living space," as Julie put it. Laura Zurowski, a MF Member, commented on how her work, however messy, really does feel like a home. It reminded her of abandoned houses and all the things that might be left behind. Julie explained that all her materials were from Pittsburgh. She found them at Construction Junction, thrift stores, and donations from MF staff and others. [If you would like to contribute items from your own home for use in Julie's installation at the Mattress Factory, please see this post!]

Join us Friday, May 15, 2015 6-8PM for the opening of Julie Schenkelberg's installation, as part of our Factory Installed exhibition also featuring Jacob Douenias & Ethan Frier, Anne Lindberg and John Morris. $15 or FREE for MF Members.

RECAP // Factory 500: Federal Courthouse + Jones Day

The MF's Factory 500 membership group got a special look at the historic Federal Courthouse located downtown on Grant Street. Courtroom deputy clerk Michael Palus lead the group on a detailed tour throughout the building. Factory 500 members got to experience the beautifully restored historic courtrooms with their plush carpets, high ceilings and beautiful murals dating back to 1936. Unfortunately, no photographs [or cell phones] were permitted in the building for security reasons.

Following the courthouse tour, members made their way down the street to Jones Day, an international law firm, for an artist talk and reception. Upon arrival, Jones Day Partner-in-Charge Laura Ellsworth gave a brief introduction to their corporate collection highlighting some of her favorite pieces. Pittsburgh artist Ron Donoughe was present to give an overview of his work in the collection, and to discuss a new project he's been working on for the last year.

Thank you to everyone who came to the Federal Courthouse and Jones Day. To check out more photos from this Factory 500 event, and past events, please visit our Flickr page.

Factory 500 is the Mattress Factory's premiere membership program, chaired by Susan Lammie. The group tours private collections, artist studios, local businesses, and other interesting arts destinations in Pittsburgh several times throughout the year. Don't miss out -- join today!

Stay tuned for information about our next Factory 500 event this spring!
Caitlin
Membership Coordinator

RECAP // MF @ SXSWedu Conference

This post was written by Felice Cleveland, the Mattress Factory's Director of Education.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending the SXSWedu conference in Austin, TX. Most people associate SXSW with music, films and technology, but five years ago they launched SXSWedu as a place to imagine the future of teaching and learning. SXSWedu is a community-fueled event, and one of the unique qualities of this conference is the Panel Picker feature where anyone can submit a proposal and the crowd votes on which sessions, speakers and topics they are most interested in. According to sxswedu.com, this conference “fosters innovation in learning by hosting a diverse and energetic community of stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds in education.” During the conference I met fellow museum educators as well as architects who design schools, educational app-builders, designers and all sorts of teachers.

I participated in a panel with several Pittsburgh-based colleagues about a project-based learning collaboration called The Galleries Project. The panel was titled “Using Art to Transform Physical Spaces and Minds.”  The Galleries Project is an opportunity for high school students to partner with a mentor from a local art institution (the Mattress Factory, the Warhol Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Pittsburgh Glass Center and last year it was the Toonseum and this year the Children’s Museum). The students visit their partner organization, learn more about career opportunities in the arts, and see behind-the-scenes how exhibitions are installed and curated. The students then work together as a group to choose a place within their school to create their own installation inspired by their partner institution. The students present a detailed plan and budget to their peers and partner organizations. Once their project is approved they have to work on installing and making their plan a reality. This sort of holistic way of thinking about an assignment is called project-based learning. Through this process the students begin to gain many 21^st century skills – like teamwork, collaboration, creative problem solving and communication. Another key aspect of this project is that students have a direct impact on the physical space in their school. They are allowed to paint the walls, hang work and create art that they will see every day in their hallways. During our panel discussion we had several educators who were very interested in the project and asked questions about how they could replicate it in their cities and schools.

The conference was a lot to take in and I am still pondering how the Mattress Factory Education Department can tap into and respond to many of the trends, concerns and new ideas around education. I wanted to share some information about the people that I heard speak who were particularly inspiring, and other interesting issues that arose at SXSWedu.  

The conference started with a keynote by Charles Best who is the founder of DonorsChoose.org. It is one of the first crowd funding sites, specifically built for teachers to request resources for their classroom – anything from pencils and paper to field trips, iPads, books or art supplies. (Check it out! There are many Pittsburgh-based schools and projects featured.) I also got to hear Rosanne Somerson, the new president of the Rhode Island School of Design speak about the impact of critical making. Design is not just a way to solve problems, but a way to reframe the questions. Learning how to be a critical maker means coming up against uncertainty, being nimble and working through it. At the Mattress Factory this is a quality we encourage in our artists and all of our students. Many of the challenges that we face here we have never had to deal with before – whether it be an installation where we are slicing through the building inthe name of art or creating a rainbow in one of our galleries. We don’t know the final product and how it is going to work out, but we problem solve and work through it. We encourage our students to do the same and know that this is a quality that will serve them well as creative adults in the world.

One of my favorite parts of the conference was eduFilms—at the Alamo Drafthouse (imagine a movie theater that serves you food and drinks during the movie!). They showed a series of poignant narratives and documentaries focusing on all aspects of education. I saw Most Likely to Succeed, a documentary about how our education system has remained the same in many ways since 1893. A school is highlighted that is turning our current education model on its head, instead of focusing on content and testing, students are given one large project to work on as a class for the course of the year. In this way students are asked to work together and problem solve and these teachers believe they are sending students out in the world that are better prepared for college and the workplace. I also saw a documentary called This is My Land about how students in Israel and Palestine are taught about their history and each other. The last film I saw, If You Build It, followed a keynote by the subject of the film, Emily Pilloton. Emily is the Founder and Executive Director of Project H, which according to their website is a non-profit teaching youth to design and build their future with hearts, hands and hammers. The documentary is about a course called Studio H that Emily and her partner Matthew Miller designed for a rural town in North Carolina. They worked closely with a group of 10 students over the course of the year teaching them design and hands-on building techniques with the goal that at the end of the class the students would build something for their community. I definitely recommend all of these films if you ever get a chance to see them. They also really brought home the idea of project-based learning and the power of trusting students and motivating them by connecting them to their community.

Getting back into the routine here at home, I am still thinking about these ideas and working to bring more project-based learning and community connections to our work on Pittsburgh’s Northside. To learn more about what we are doing in the Education Department at the Mattress Factory be sure to check out mattress.org. Please feel free to e-mail me at felice@mattress.org if you ever have any questions.

RECAP // Mini-Factory: SENSES!

Our SENSES are the portal to discovering the world.  They evoke emotions which shape our experience on a sunny day, in a noisy room, or at the Mattress Factory.  Our group of young artists started their SENSES journey with a discussion and a book, Five for the Little One, during the Mini-Factory program.  After building a solid understanding of how people use their senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch, we explored Danny Bracken’s current installation.

Bracken’s piece entices us to touch the soft grass, peek at the blue light, listen to the music and look at the rainbow.  What does it smell like after a storm?  What can you see after the rain?  What do the rocks feel like when you climb a mountain?  Everything in this gallery pulls the viewer in, and demands closer observation. It is a sensory explosion.

After visiting Bracken’s exhibit, we put our SENSES to the test with some fun activities. We received discovery bags that held secret objects which could be touched, smelled, tasted and listened to, but just like our book Seven Blind Mice tells us, no looking!  We used our other SENSES to guess what the objects in the bags were. What happens when we take one of our senses away?  Does it become easier or more difficult to "see" objects?  How do our SENSES play tricks on us?  How important are our SENSES?  When we explore art, just how much do we use all of our SENSES? Visit the Mattress Factory to find out!

Mini-Factory is an interactive learning program for children ages 3-5 years old and their parents or caregivers. Using contemporary installation art, parents and children will explore new ideas and concepts from the everyday world. Join us on March 14 at 10am to learn about PLACE. Email education@mattress.org to RSVP today!

RECAP // Mini-Factory: SOUND!

Exploring SOUND at the Mattress Factory on a snowy day proved to be fun and insightful! What sounds do we hear outside? What sounds do we hear inside?  Why do artists use SOUND to create art?  Mini-Factory used these questions to jump into the art of SOUND.  By placing red pigment on top of two speakers, Rolf Julius’ Red helps the viewer see the vibrations of SOUND.

Next we explored Danny Bracken’s installation which is part of the exhibition Artists in Residence.  This piece is perfect for exploring the senses- there's grass, rocks, and even a rainbow! Yet like so many of his pieces, there is a component of music which accompanies the visual and tactile experience.  Students placed their hands over their ears to silence the SOUND in the gallery, and discused whether this made for any changes in how we approach the art. 

Wrapping up our discussion in the galleries, students were led into the Education Studio where we played musical chairs with a twist – while various types of music played our young artists painted, when the music stopped, the painting stopped.  How did the music influence your brush strokes? Your imagination?  Not only were the kids bouncing their knees to the beat, but their painting changed with the contrasting music. SOUND can be very influential in how we approach making and viewing art.

      

Mini-Factory is a FREE interactive learning program for children ages 3 - 5 years old and their parents or caregivers. There is a limited space available so RSVP to education@mattress.org. Using contemporary installation art, parents and children will explore new ideas and concepts from the everyday world.  Join us on February 28, 2015 from 10 - 11am to learn about SENSES. 

RECAP // Coffee Dates with Benjamin Sota

Saturday, February 14th marked the first edition of Coffee Dates, with special guest Benjamin Sota. MF Members made their way through the snow to the museum to enjoy a warm cup of coffee with Ben.

Benjamin Sota is an artist presenting work in the Mattress Factory's current exhibition Artists in Residence, on view through Spring 2015. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Zany Umbrella Circus; an Assistant Professor of physical theater, movement and circus at Coastal Carolina University; and has taught and performed in places such as Jordan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and the White House.

After introductions, Benjamin began the Coffee Date with a story about the history of circus. He talked about his many experiences traveling the globe and the idea of "social circus." Members got to hear his side of his experience working at the Mattress Factory. Explaining that his work on the fourth floor, Damn Everything But the Circus (2014), is his first installation, he says, "I've never felt so uncomfortable as an artist. As a performer all my life, I have always been the artwork. But here, I am not the artwork. My installation is."

Join us for our next Coffee Date with Kathleen Montgomery, Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 10:30am in the MF Café. RSVP to caitlin@mattress.org.

RECAP // Factory 500: Preservation Technologies

The Factory 500 member group visited Preservation Technologies in Cranberry on Saturday, January 24th for a behind-the-scenes tour of the facilities.

Preservation Technologies provides custom preservation, deacidification solutions, and digitization products and services for print and audiovisual materials for libraries, archives and businesses worldwide.

Vice President Bob Strauss gave the members an overview of the work Preservation Technologies does in the "Bookkeeper" and the "MediaPreserve" sections. Bob, and two of his co-workers, Diane and Hannah, divided the group and toured them around to each section of the building.

The evening concluded at Off the Hook restaurant down the road in Warrendale, where Factory 500 members enjoyed wine and a delicious selection of fish entrees.

Thank you to everyone who came to Preservation Technologies on January 24th. You can see more photos from this event, and past Factory 500 events, on our Flickr page.

Factory 500 is the Mattress Factory's premiere membership program, chaired by Susan Lammie. The group tours private collections, artist studios, local businesses, and other interesting arts destinations in Pittsburgh several times throughout the year. Don't miss out -- join today!

See you at our next event!

Caitlin

Membership Coordinator

RECAP // Mini-Factory: LIGHT!

Light can influence how we feel, how we see, and how we interpret our surroundings.  No wonder artists like James Turrell have chosen to focus on LIGHT as a primary medium for creating installation art.  In a recent Mini-Factory program, our group of adventurous 3, 4 and 5 year olds entered the low-lit galleries on the second floor of 500 Sampsonia Way to explore Turrell’s work Danäe.  After a bit of trepidation, our young artists realized how easily the senses can play tricks on us – our eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness to discover a wonderful color at the back of the room – a glowing purple rectangle which appears to almost be floating on the wall. . . or is it? You will have to visit the Mattress Factory to see for yourself how Turrell uses LIGHT to play with our senses.

Another artist at the Mattress Factory, Yayoi Kusama, also combines LIGHT with other mediums like mirrors and polka dot patterns to invoke infinite possibilities to the senses. Mini-Factory participants were instantly intrigued by her installation . . .

And to bring it full circle, the Mini-Factory program always wraps up with a fun book and collaborative activity.  In our program on LIGHT the students used cellophane paper and scissors to cut out all sorts of shapes and placed them on to the lighted surface of an overhead projector (simple technology at it’s best!).  These shapes and colors were magnified on the wall, as well as our mobile pop-up space, which sparked creativity and excitement.  No doubt, sculpting with LIGHT was the highlight!

Mini-Factory is a FREE interactive learning program for children ages 3 - 5 years old and their parents or caregivers.  Using contemporary installation art, parents and children will explore new ideas and concepts from the everyday world.  Join us in the new year for a Mini-Factory program, RSVP or find out more by e-mailing education@mattress.org.