MAGIC LANTERN
CELEBRATION ON PASEO
SUNDAY, OCT. 27 3 - 6 p.m.
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| Images courtesy of Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan |
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The Magic Lantern Celebration, in its 19th Fall season, invites children and parents to the
Historic Paseo Arts District
on Sunday, October 27 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. Artists open their doors
and paint a colorful Pumpkin Labyrinth on Paseo’s street for children to
enter the world of creativity,
make art and have fun doing it!
Befitting
the season of costumes and light and inspired by the verse, “We are all
Magic Lanterns, lit by the light of imagination”, this celebration
brings children into the wonder of their
imagination. It is a hands-on, minds-on, dance-on event where children
make paper costumes, lanterns, pumpkin self-portraits and wishes. This
is a time of light instead of fright.
Children
of all ages should wear their everyday clothing to Paseo and be ready
for their spontaneous creations to inspire surprises. Discovering and
doing are the delightfully magical ingredients
of this event. Children and their parents can walk from studio to
studio where all kinds of paper await to be folded, crumpled, ruffled
and embellished into wearable art. Costumes are made using simple
construction techniques. The paper pieces are worn over
clothing.
Four
simultaneous workshops provide children supplies and opportunities for
exploration. Wings of paper fly onto children. Hats of recycled bits
of fancy top each head. Transparent Lanterns
shimmer in light, while Pumpkin Portraits of natural materials appear.
This is an opportunity for parents to share in their children’s
constructions. Helping hands and brainstorming are an important part of
this creative process. Parental assistance is
welcome and necessary depending on the age and needs of each
participating child.
The
workshops are from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. At 4:30 the giant Pumpkin
Labyrinth on the street opens for musical wishes and a costume parade
which continues until 6:00 p.m. The heart of Magic
Lantern Celebration finds light-filled wishes made by children. As if
they have stepped into a storybook, each child visits a Wish Finder to
make a wish and is then whisked upon a journey into the Pumpkin
Labyrinth. Skipping and twisting upon the curving
path, children follow the live original music of Steve McLinn, Ojas,
and the StarDanceSwan dancers. Inside this experience children weave
their wishes into a song for their dance upon the Pumpkin Labyrinth.
Here they create a sound collage of their wishes
for dancing which flies through the magic of the celebration.
Rain
or shine, the costume making activities are from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. in
the Paseo studios. The Pumpkin Labyrinth Parade and dance is outside
from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. All Children must
be accompanied by adults. Activities are held on the north end of Paseo
at 30th and Dewey. This part of the street will be closed
for safe walking from studio to studio and on the street. Participating
studios are Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan,
Paseo Art Space, Rainbow Fleet and Paseo Pottery. All activities are
free to the public. Donations are accepted to help with the costs of
the event. The Magic Lantern celebration is made possible through
support of the State Arts Council of Oklahoma, the
Paseo Arts Association, Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan and private
donations. For information call the Paseo Arts Association at
405-525-2688 or go to thepaseo.org.
