By Stacey Coles
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
One jewel at a time, 5-year-old Sophie Lewis crafted her handmade silver Cambodian medallion necklace. She carefully placed glue on the back of each jewel and placed it on her cardboard medallion. She twirled her necklace in the air admiring her craft.
“I like that we get to decorate,” Sophie said shyly.
Sophie’s mom, Jenyfer Lewis, a teacher in Baltimore County, joined her daughter’s creative experience by decorating her own Cambodian armband.
“We are getting to use a lot of supplies that we wouldn’t be able to use at home,” Lewis said.
Lewis and her daughter were just two of the visitors of all ages who gathered in the Atrium of Towson University’s Center for the Arts building for Family Art Day last week.
The crafts arranged for the event reflected the themes and cultures of the Cross-Pollination and the Sounding the Spirit of Cambodia exhibits currently running in the art center.
“The event was created as a way to bring people from the community in to get them connected to the exhibitions,” said Stacy Arnold, director of the community art center. “It’s an entry way to come and learn about the art.”
The event featured a Cambodian jewelry workshop, an animation workshop and a performance by the Cambodian American Heritage Inc.
“A family that play’s together stays together,” Arnold said.
Jenn Cohen’s 12-year-old son had attended several of the department’s summer art camps prior and she wanted her 8- year-old daughter to join the creativity as well.
“I hope they get a greater love for art and today we are getting to learn about another culture,” Cohen said, observing her kids making thaumatropes as a part of the animation work shop.
It’s important for kids to learn to love art an early age, Cohen said. She found the event to be well organized and welcoming.
“Everyone (the staff) is very helpful with the children,” Cohen of Lutherville said. “You can tell they enjoy what they do and sharing their love of art with kids is very special.”
Around 1 p.m., visitors gathered in the dance studio to see a performance from a Cambodian American group from Arlington, Virginia. The group of young dancers and musicians and their teachers brought the classical dance and music of Cambodia displayed in the exhibit to life.
During the ending with Chhak Banchos – a beginner’sexercise containing basic movements developed to better the posture and increase the flexibility of dancers – young audience members were able to go on stage with the dancers and participate in the exercises.
“She was really paying attention to what they were doing and I could tell she really wanted to be a part of it,” said Christine Hufnagl-miller of Baltimore County, after seeing her daughter Braithe, 2, join the dancers on stage. “She loved it. She wants to be a dancer so much, so it was so fun to see her following along.”
In addition to the workshops and the performance, a story time corner was provided by Cook Library. Away from the workshops on a small black table sat several children’s books accompanied by a smiling librarian. Children could pick a book to read on their own or have the librarian read it to them.
“It’s a chance to make a personal connection between a librarian and an individual kid or family,” said Miriam Desharnias, a research and instruction librarian at the university, looking at the books around her. “It’s a nice reminder of how children get excited about stories and the people who tell them stories.”
The story time corner allowed the library to bring some of its less popular material to a wider audience. Further, it allowed Towson students to volunteer and join the creativity.
“I like to see how art and the community interact,” said Judy Hannon, a student volunteer studying art history and studio art. “The art helps enrich the children’s lives. It helps them be more excepting to different experiences and cultures.”
The event is geared toward helping the artist succeed by allowing students with majors such as museum studies and art education, to get experience with the public right at the university, Arnold said.
“As an art major, teaching is something that I really want to pursue and being a part of this event is helping me experience that,” said Marie Amegah, a senior and assistant at the community art center, as she helped visitors make their Cambodian jewelry. “It shows them that anyone can be an artist.”
Cohen was grateful that the event had been free, acknowledging the opportunity it provided poorer families to experience art.
“I wish more people knew about it,” Cohen said.
Cohen and her daughter Sophie were greeted by master artist Sochie Tah Ung as they finished their Cambodian jewelry. He twirled Sophie’s studded medallion in the air cheerfully admiring her work.
“It’s better than watching TV,” Sophie said.