MAGIC LANTERN
CELEBRATION ON PASEO
SUNDAY, OCT. 27 3 - 6 p.m.

Images courtesy of  Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan

The Magic Lantern Celebration, in its 19^th 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 30^th 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.