Steampunk!

Teacher Work Day Program
Monday, January 17th, 9 am—12 pm
Ages 4 — 7
$30 Members/$35 Non-Members

Give your kids a chance to explore the infinite possibilities of all things steampunk! Your kids
will make dirigibles and steampunk goggles to go with them. They will create metallic art, fantasize about the past and the future, and look at how technology changes through the ages. A day of gears, gadgets and, most of all, good times.

Space is limited, so ask at the Front Desk or contact Sara (vdmprograms@vadm.org; 977-1025 x 9) with questions or to register.

Fun Programs and Events in the Spring!

Does your child want to act out a favorite character, exercise his body, create new recipes, explore the wonders of air and space, or discover the power of all things steampunk? Sign them up for one of the many weekly programs starting at the Virginia Discovery Museum this spring. Check out our bi-monthly calendar or our website to view the times and dates of all of these exciting programs. In addition to our usual fantastic Drop-in Programs such as StoryTime Tuesdays, Poetry Club, Toddler Time, and Magic School Bus Science Club, we have several pre-registration programs in partnership with local organizations

One program that will start January 7 – February 11 is Hollywood Theatre Lab, which requires pre-registration. In this six week session, actress and acting instructor Lana Young will teach children how to perform while exploring their imagination in a safe and fun environment. Fun and focused exercises teach children how to listen to their scene partners and build communication skills. They will learn basic stage technique, how to break down scripts, and how to find their objective as the character. The goal – teaching life skills through acting – is to build self confidence while showing children how to find truth in a character. The Hollywood Theatre Lab classes, only $90 for members and $110 for non-members, take place on Friday afternoons at 3:30pm-4:30pm and accept children ages 6-8.

After the success of last summer’s program, the VDM is proud to present YogaDoodle, Taught by Guest Instructor, Lynn Campbell, this program features a fusion of traditional yoga postures and creative expression. Children learn postures to help experience their physical sense while exploring sight, sound, and stillness with their peers. This new program of six sessions, starts on Wednesdays from 3:45pm-4:45pm and includes kids ages 5-9. Members pay $90 and non-members pay $110.

On January 17 from 9am-12pm, the museum will host a Teacher Workday Program featuring Steampunk: The Power of Steam. Give your kids a chance to explore the infinite possibilities of all things steampunk! Your kids will make dirigibles and steampunk goggles to go with them. They will create metallic art, fantasize about the past and the future, and look at how technology changes through the ages. It promises to be a day of gears, gadgets and, most of all, good times. The program is for children ages 4-7 and is $30 for members and $35 for non-members.

Coming on Saturday mornings from February 5 – March 12 is our Little Chefs program. Bring your little ones and create tasty snacks and delicious meals ogether! Your kids will learn about kitchen safety and build their cooking skills in a fun, safe environment. Space is limited, so sign up today. The program runs from 10am-11:30am and includes kids ages 4-8. To sign up for individual classes, the cost is $10 for members and $13 for non-members. To sign up for all six classes, the cost is $55 for members and $70 for non-members.

Register for these programs soon as space is limited and don’t forget about Date Nights on Friday nights from 5:30-8:00. Enjoy a night on the town while your kids revel in an evening of activities, dinner, and lots of free time to play in the museum. For the winter months, Date Nights will be on the first Fridays of the month. This pre-registration drop-off program includes a craft, games, a dinner with cheese pizza, carrot sticks, and fruit juice, and lots of free time to play in the Museum! Space is limited to 12 children per week and will not run without a minimum of 4 children, so be sure to call to register before 5pm the Thursday before the program. Registrants will be notified by 5pm on the Thursday before the program if we need to cancel. The program is for kids ages 3-8 and VDM members pay $20 while non-members $25. We have a siblings discount of $5 and a cancellation fee of $10 after 12pm on the Thursday before the registered program. No refund for same-day cancellation.

The spring season aims to be a busy one for the Virginia Discovery Museum, but we hope it will also be a success. Don’t forget that we will also be hosting our annual Kid*Vention, the theme of which is Discover Sky and Space! This fun event will be on March 26 from 9am-3pm (location TBA) and is all about taking time to look up and explore what’s above our heads! Learn about birds and bats, planes and rockets, comets and more through hands-on activities, crafts and games. Sponsored by the Virginia Discovery Museum, WVPT, the City of Charlottesville, and Lite Rock Z95.1, this is one event your family won’t want to miss!

We are eager to see the kids participate in the weekly programs and events and we welcome any feedback from our visitors. Please contact us anytime for information and questions. We wish everyone a happy winter and hope to see you for the programs. Stay tuned for updates on the new exhibit, Up, Up, and Away!

Check out the Open Studio - Sponsored by UVa Athletics Cavman's Crew!

As many of you know, we have newly renovated our Open Studio. The walls have been repainted a warm cream color, a more interactive table with chairs was set up, and new accessible storage units have been constructed. All of this is courtesy of our sponsor, UVa Athletics Cavman’s Crew. We thank them heartily for their generosity. Next time your child is busy creating a masterpiece from a variety of art materials located in the storage units, check out the Cavaliers’ events on the posters that adorn the walls. You can also sign up for the official Kid’s Club of Virginia Athletics at http://www.cavmanscrew.com/.

New Art Show in the Program Room - Untitled Landsapes

I photograph the stillness of empty places--deserted beaches, barren deserts, vine encrusted factories. Even when I focus my camera of scenes that are full of life, such as blazing autumn forests or gossamer flowers, I try to abstract the subject matter so that it retreats into the quiescence of abstract form and texture. I photograph the same subject repeatedly, even obsessively. Slowly, the act of continually re-photographing a scene helps crystallize a mental image that eventually supplants the psychological chatter of descriptors (“dynamic,” “textural,” “luminous”) which inevitably fail to do justice to any image. I strive to let my head be as empty of words as my images are of people.This momentary triumph of images over words is necessitated by the other half of my mental life. By training I am, or am on my way to becoming, an historian of contemporary art. Art history and art criticism operate through words, words that attempt to analyze, explain and ultimately subdue an image (or a sculpture, installation or performance). The image is conscripted back into a linguistic system. The mental quietude of my photographic practice helps me to rebalance this equation.

Biography

Mike Maizels is an art history PhD student and photographer living in Charlottesville, Virginia. After studying photography and philosophy of mind at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, he received an MA in art history from the University of Chicago Program in the Humanities. He is currently working with Howard Singerman on his PhD at the University of Virginia. His dissertation will focus on the questions of subjectivity and spectatorship raised by new media art, particularly large-scale installations.

Presenting Hope Harris!

The Virginia Discovery Museum
presents

Hope Harris & The Cousins Jamboree
A Fun-filled Family Concert

Sunday, December 5, at 2:00 pm

The Sanctuary at The Haven at First & Market

Suggested donation is $5 per person.

Please join us as we celebrate the release of Hope’s new CD, Cousins Jamboree! It promises to be an energetic, interactive experience for the whole family – be ready to sing, dance, and laugh. Hope’s performances have been described as “magical” and “pure joy”. For more information, go to http://www.hopeharris.com/.


Here is a review that Richmond Family Magazine gave the CD in the October issue.
"Just sampling a snippet of Hope Harris' new CD should send families flocking to see her in action... Cousins Jamboree- with a whopping 16 songs- serves up all the energy of a live performance and then some. With rich arrangements and whimsical lyrics, the charm of this folksy artist shines through on every track, especially Eddie the Otter, I Love Apples, and Babysitter (the ones you'll be humming long after the kids are out of earshot)!"
Many thanks for your continuing support for the Museum....

Virginia Discovery Museum Announces New Executive Director

The Virginia Discovery Museum Board of Directors is pleased to announce its new executive director will be Amy Wicks-Horn of Charlottesville.

Wicks-Horn, a native of Franklin, North Carolina, has served as director of annual giving for the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital since 2007, and prior to that was assistant director of annual giving at the University of Virginia since 2004.

A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Virginia, Wicks-Horn also holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Washington. She formerly served as executive director of an education-based non-profit for children in Seattle.

"I am thrilled to join the incredible team at the Virginia Discovery Museum," said Wicks-Horn. "I look forward to working with our staff, board, and the community to fulfill the Museum’s mission to ‘bring young children and their families together to engage minds, excite imaginations, and explore the world around them.’ I am very excited to get started! "

"This was an extremely competitive search," said Elizabeth Chew, Board Chair and member of the search committee comprised of current and former Board members. "We were very impressed with the applicant pool, which came to us from all across the United States. Amy had the experience and high level of energy that we were looking for, and we believe she will be an outstanding leader for the organization."

Wicks-Horn replaces the retiring Peppy Linden, who over a 20-year period has grown the Virginia Discovery Museum from infancy into a Downtown Mall landmark and education destination for thousands of area children and families. Since relocating to the Downtown Mall in 1990, the Virginia Discovery Museum has welcomed over 885,000 visitors and become an anchor and economic driver for the Mall’s East End.

Wicks-Horn will begin work on January 3, 2011.

An Instrument Petting Zoo

New Art Show in the Program Room!

For the next month, the Program Room of the Virginia Discovery Museum will be hosting the solo exhibition of local artist, Jesse Wells. Her show, which consists of pen, gouache, and gesso on paper, highlights the “dynamics between individuals and the moments of ambivalence through which they understand the world.” Wells presents figures interacting with each other or standing alone, but all are on a “quest to navigate each other, in search of what is good.”

In this show, her work centers on the interaction between young adolescents and the innocent way in which they view the world around them. She also focuses on their, perhaps naïve, relationships with each other. As said by Wells, she “teases out the moments of naïve and dangerous exploration – actions that come from an innocent place that might still bring about irrevocable knowledge.” Come down to the museum to view this new and original show. If you wish to purchase any works, please ask a staff member or email the artist at jesskawells@gmail.com.

Give the Gift of Discovery!

This holiday season, why not give your loved ones the gift of experiences? The Virginia Discovery Museum is proud to offer a wide variety of gift ideas that you can choose from: a holiday wreath, gift certificates, and memberships. These gifts will not only enrich your family experiences, but also benefit the museum as well.

Our balsam fir wreaths are hand-made, fragrant, long-lasting, and decorated with a tartan bow, berries, and pine cones. The wreaths make wonderful gifts for friends, family, co-workers, clients, or yourself. They will be shipped from Maine to any address within the continental U.S. We’ve kept to the 2009 prices: 1 to 9 wreaths are $40.75 each; 10 or more wreaths are $38.50 each. The VDM member discount is $38.50 per wreath. These prices include processing and shipping and $10 per wreath is tax-deductible. The final order deadline is November 19, so hurry to place your order today.

The Virginia Discovery Museum offers a range of gift certificate options that you can purchase for your loved ones. You can buy daily admission tickets for new visitors to the museum or treat your friends to a Date Night Drop-off on Friday nights. We also offer gift certificates for special programs such as Hollywood Theatre Lab Classes, Summer Camps, and StarLab Planetarium Shows. If you wish to find a more creative option, you can buy a certificate that offers group visits, birthday parties, or registration for our annual Discovery Dash in the spring. If there is something that we have not thought of, do not hesitate to ask. We encourage new ideas and want to help make this holiday season a joyous one!

A membership to the Virginia Discovery Museum provides fun all year long for the whole family. In addition to unlimited admission to VDM for a full year, membership allows free reciprocal admission to hundreds of other museums around the country. Members will also have birthday party privileges, discounts on all classes and camps, and 3-month gift membership purchase privileges. Members will also receive our bi-monthly newsletter of events in advance.

All of these gifts are available starting now, so do not wait to pick one up. If you have any questions about our holiday gifts ideas, please call 434-977-1025 or check out our website at http://www.vadm.org/. Have a wonderful start to your holiday season!

Hope Harris and the Cousins Jamboree!

Speak! Global Tour of Homes

Speak!

Kids in conjunction with Virginia Gingerbread Christmas presents:
Global Tour of Homes
Saturday, November 6 from 3-5pm

$10 per child*
Pre-registration Required
(2 hr. validated parking in the Water St. Garage next door)
*Proceeds donated to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge

Have you ever wondered how children live in Japan, China, Italy, Russia and France? What do there houses look like and how are they different from ours? Find out at this interactive cultural workshop for children at Speak! Teachers representing several different countries around the world will lead kids ages 4-10 on a Global tour of home life and architecture that will involve images, stories and creative activities sure to inspire many to create a Gingerbread House with a distinctive international theme! Snack time, too!

The Glass Building

313 2nd Street S.E., Suite 109

Charlottesville, VA 22902

434-245-TALK

http://www.speaklanguagecenter.com/

Make the 2010 Virginia Film Festival a Family Affair!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Celebrate the magic of movies with an all-day array of family events and activities on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. Events include:

- Screenings of feature family films at The Paramount - free admission!

- The spotlight's on ...You! - walk the red carpet and pose for flashbulb-popping paparrazzi!

- Back lot experience including green screen technology and 3-D imaging

- Premieres of films by aspiring youth filmmakers from acclaimed Light house Studio and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground along with our own Youn Filmmakers Academy

- Free admission to the Virginia Discovery Museum from 1-3pm with VFF stub

- Performances by Academical Village People, Barycentric Theology Fire Spinners, Virginia Dance Team, and more from 10am to 3pm on our Central Place stage

- Bounce-n-Play, face painting, balloon craft, and healthy food samplings

Beauty and the Beast: Saturday at 10:30am at The Paramount

This classic Disney is a timeless tale of romance, intelligence, feminism, and morality. the over arching theme of "don't judge a book by its cover" is intertwined with a magical tale of beasts, castles, dungeons, and witches. Children will be entranced from beginning to end! Following the film, Paige O'Hara (the original voice of Belle) will perform along with the Albemarle High School Patriot Singers. Paige will also sign autographs. It is a must see event!

Louder than a Bomb: Saturday at 1:15pm at The Paramount

This uplifting and inspiring documentary charts the progress of four competing poetry groups within the Chicago Louder than a Bomb Teen Poetry Challenge. Each group faces adversity and embraces creativity as the competition unfolds. The personalities of each poet are celebrated as the documentary highlights the exciting diversity of such a competition. It has been called"an affecting and superbly paced celebration of American youth at their creative best," and is an obvious crowd pleaser. following the film, a panel of poetry enthusiasts and slam poets will discuss the film.

Special support provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

University of Virginia and the College of Arts and Sciences

The Virginia Film Festival

434-982-5560

www.virginiafilmfestival.org

Critters - A New Art Show in the Program Room

For the next three weeks, the Virginia Discovery Museum is proud to showcase the works of local artist, Leslie Allyn, in a solo exhibition, “Critters.” Allyn believes that animals of all types carry a magic; a sense of whimsy that she attempts to recreate in her watercolor paintings. She focuses on the relationship between critters and humans, specifically the personalities of these animals, bugs, and fish. To study the faces and movements of these creatures, one becomes enlightened by the similarities to the expressions and bodily movements of human beings. Such similarities can be “amusing, comforting, mysterious, or even scary.” Allyn enjoys this personal connection with nature’s critters and finds inspiration in the curiosity of a baby goat or the glistening dew on the woven web of a diligent spider. These paintings depict “moments in time” that not only highlight the personalities of the critters, but also glorify the strangeness and magic of our relationship with nature. Allyn successfully captures the human-like characteristics of each critter in her works, whether it is the fearlessness of a “Flying Squirrel,” the sweet nature of a donkey offering flowers in “Ridonkulous Ranunculus,” or the wide-eyed, stressed-out exhaustion of a fish in “Spaced Out.” Be sure to check out Allyn’s works in the Program Room of the Virginia Discovery Museum on your next visit. To learn more about the artist and her process, also check out her website at http://www.leslieallyn.com/.

Halloween Party, Holiday Houses, and Many More Fun Fall Programs!

In case you have not received our bi-monthly newsletter or checked out our website, the Virginia Discovery Museum wants to make you aware of several late fall events that are taking place. On October 29th, the museum will be hosting our annual Halloween Party from 6-7:30. Register now and come dressed in your best costume! This event, for children ages 2-7 with an adult, is $10 for members and $12 for non-members. Get ready for a howlin’ good time as you enjoy spooktacular crafts, games, a Mad Scientist Lab, and more!

On November 1 from 9-12, special guest instructor, Meg Heubeck, from the UVA Center for politics Youth Leadership Initiative, will be presenting a Teacher Workday Program: Count Your Votes! The program, geared towards children ages 4-7 and is $30 for members and $35 for non-members, will involve reading books about voting, making a button to share one of your child’s important ides for improving our country, and more!

Starting in December, the Virginia Discovery Museum will devote two Saturdays, the 11th and the 18th from 10:30-11:30, to Holiday Houses, in which kids ages 4 and up with an adult can get into the holiday spirit and decorate pre-assembled houses with icing, marshmallows, candy canes, and loads more yummy treats.

In addition to these fantastic and fun fall events and our usual Drop-in Programs such as StoryTime Tuesdays, Poetry Club, Toddler Time, and Magic School Bus Science Club, we have several pre-registration programs in partnership with local organizations

One such program is Speak! Language Class, which runs from November 3 – December 15. After the success of the language classes over the summer, Speak! Language Center presents European Vacation, in which they explore the languages and cultures of Italy, France, and Spain. Each session includes an interactive language lesson (songs, stories, and games) and an introduction to the culture of each country. Children can Flamenco dance in Spain, discover the artistic wonders of the Louvre in Paris, and order a rainbow of gelato flavors in Italy! The Speak! Language Classes will be on Wednesdays at 3:30-4:45 and welcome kids ages 5-9. The class is only $100 for members and $120 for non-members. Sign up today!

Another summer program that will start November 5 – December 17 is Hollywood Theatre Lab, which also requires pre-registration. Lana Young will teach children how to perform while exploring their imagination in a safe and fun environment. Fun and focused exercises teach children how to listen to their scene partners and build communication skills. They will learn basic stage technique, how to break down scripts, and how to find their objective as the character. The goal – teaching life skills through acting – is to build self confidence while showing children how to find truth in a character. The Hollywood Theatre Lab classes, only $90 for members and $110 for non-members, take place on Friday afternoons at 3:30-4:30 and accept children ages 6-8.

Register for these programs soon as space is limited and don’t forget about Date Nights on Friday nights from 5:30-8:00. Enjoy a night on the town while your kids revel in an evening of activities, dinner, and lots of free time to play in the museum. We are eager to see the kids participate in the weekly programs and we welcome any feedback from our visitors. Please contact us anytime for information and questions. We wish everyone a happy October and hope to see you for the programs.

Dynamic Grace - A new art show in the Program Room of the Virginia Discovery Museum

DYNAMIC GRACE
Amanda Johnson

I have always been drawn to nests and their divine design. That something so small, and presumably simple-minded as a bird, has the innate ability to create such an incredibly complex and developed masterpiece of strands, sticks, and everything in between. Amazing! Initially, this show was planned as a series of nests and eggs. But on a particular evening this summer, when the sky was clear and full of stars, I was taken by an impulse to incorporate the moon’s phases. It was then that I discovered the relationship that eggs have with the lunar cycle. Call it synchronicity. Approximately the same amount of time is taken for an egg’s gestation period as it takes the moon to move through a revolution of phases. More research ensued and biodynamics transpired. This collection of works develops a particular interest in the relationship of organism and environment; divine energy and grace.

All of my work begins with a significant image, color, or texture. After deciding on a medium, I trust my art to take me where it leads. My hope is that my finished product describes this experience to my audience. My painting process is a collection of layers, glazes of color, and an array of textures that have come about along the way. I pour on polymer medium, slather on pastes and gels, stain surfaces, scratch surfaces, and sand surfaces. I force things to dry, to move, and to blend. There aren’t really any rules or expectations when I paint. I just let the flow take over. In the past ten years, I’ve spent time exploring pen and ink, ceramics, woodworking, encaustic, watercolor, and acrylic painting. Anything could be on the horizon.

Amanda currently resides and paints in Crozet.
She has an ever-growing collection of nests and eggs.

The Tibetan Way!

The Virginia Discovery Museum is proud to announce it's next Exhibit, The Tibetan Way!

OPENING DAY - SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25th!!!

Exhibit runs September 25th, 2010 - March 27, 2011.

A mysterious land in the Himalayas, Tibet is known as the country that sits "on top of the world". Explore the unique culture and traditions created by people who thrive in this extraordinary landscape of mountains and valleys. Visit a nomads tent. Learn the many uses of yaks in the highlands. Try blanket weaving or trade goods in the bustling market. Listen to Tibetan music while you dress in traditional garb for the Losar Festival, celebrating the Tibetan lunar New Year. Explore the Buddhist altars where all Tibetans worship. This exhibit will open your eyes to a fascinating world that remains one of the most inaccessible and intriguing places in Asia today.

Sponsored by SNL Financial

Peppy Linden, Longtime Virginia Discovery Museum Executive Director, Announces Retirement Plans

Peppy Linden, who over a 20-year period has grown the Virginia Discovery Museum from infancy into a Downtown Mall landmark and education destination for thousands of area children and families, has announced plans to retire in 2011.

Linden announced her plans today to the Virginia Discovery Museum Board of Directors and Museum staff.

“I have loved this place for so long, and I have loved the people who have come through our doors over the past 20 years, especially the children,” said Linden. “I am proud of the positive impact we have had on early childhood education in our community, and how we have brought children and families closer together.

“When we started, we were in a house on Ackley Lane near the Gordon Avenue Library. When the Mall building came our way, we had 30 days to get it ready and move in, and we pulled it off and just grew from there.

“I am so grateful for the staff and volunteers over the years who have put in the countless hours, who have helped children find their way, who have pointed parents to the bathroom, who have built the exhibits and manned the front door. Thousands of donors have invested in us and their support has had a tremendous impact on the lives of young people in our area.”

Since relocating to the Downtown Mall in 1990, the Virginia Discovery Museum has welcomed over 885,000 visitors and become an anchor and economic driver for the Mall’s East End. Community outreach programs and summer camps have become a mainstay.

The Discovery Museum is known in museum circles for its rotating exhibitions, a rarity among children’s museums, and daily programming. Recent original exhibitions featured in the Back Gallery have included Freedom of Expression, a partnership with the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, and Illumination Station: Light, Lasers, Lenses. The Virginia Discovery Museum was the only children’s museum in Virginia to host the Smithsonian Institution’s New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music installation.

“The Virginia Discovery Museum is ‘the house that Peppy built,’ and her impact on the community has been nothing short of amazing,” said Elizabeth Chew, Museum Board Chair. “She has worked tirelessly to engage and teach young minds. But I also know some of her most rewarding moments have come when parents have thanked her for what they have learned from their own children.”

The Museum's Board of Directors is assembling a search committee to begin a national search for a new executive director who will build on Linden’s success. The Board is currently conducting a strategic planning process that will guide the future direction of the Museum, and the next executive director will oversee execution of the new strategic plan.

“Peppy has gotten us to the point where we can think about our future in new and exciting ways,” added Chew. “The Virginia Discovery Museum is a Charlottesville treasure and popular destination, but we have ambitious plans for the future. We owe it to Peppy and her legacy to think of how we can serve more children and families, and serve them even better than we have over the past 20 years.”

Exciting New Fall Programs at the Virginia Discovery Museum!

Does your child want to create some art, explore the wonders of science, exercise your body, learn a new language, or act out your favorite character? Sign them up for one of the many weekly fall programs at the Virginia Discovery Museum. Check out our website to view the times and dates of all of these exciting programs.

Starting next week, the museum brings back seasonal favorite drop-in programs such as StoryTime Tuesdays and Magic School Bus Science Club (on Thursdays) to join Toddler Time, which is now on Wednesdays. These programs require no registration and feature a new project each week for the kids – hearing exciting stories, creating art, and exploring the depths of science and nature.

Along with these drop-in programs, the Virginia Discovery Museum is hosting several pre-registration programs in partnership with local organizations. One such program is Speak! Language Class. After the success of the language classes over the summer, Speak! Language Center presents European Vacations, in which they explore the languages and cultures of Italy, France, and Spain. Each session includes an interactive language lesson (songs, stories, and games) and an introduction to the culture of each country. Children can Flamenco dance in Spain, discover the artistic wonders of the Louvre in Paris, and order a rainbow of gelato flavors in Italy! The Speak! Language Classes will be on Wednesdays at 3:30-4:45 and welcome kids ages 5-10. The class is only $150 for members and $180 for non-members. Sign up today!

Another summer program that is now featured in the fall season is Hollywood Theatre Lab, which also requires pre-registration. Lana Young returns with a 12-week session that will teach children how to perform while exploring their imagination in a safe and fun environment. Fun and focused exercises teach children how to listen to their scene partners and build communication skills. They will learn basic stage technique, how to break down scripts, and how to find their objective as the character. The goal – teaching life skills through acting – is to build self confidence while showing children how to find truth in a character. The Hollywood Theatre Lab classes, only $210 for members and $240 for non-members, take place on Friday afternoons at 3:30-4:45 and accept children ages 6-10.

One brand new program is YogaDoodle, which is free to members. Taught by Guest Instructor, Lynn Campbell, this program features a fusion of traditional yoga postures and creative expression. Children learn postures to help experience their physical sense while exploring sight, sound, and stillness with their peers. This new program of only four sessions, starts on Tuesdays at 3:30 and includes kids ages 5-9.

Register for these programs soon as space is limited and don’t forget about Date Nights on Friday nights from 5:30-8:00. Enjoy a night on the town while your kids revel in an evening of activities, dinner, and lots of free time to play in the museum.

The fall season aims to be a busy one for the Virginia Discovery Museum, but we hope it will also be a success. We are eager to see the kids participate in the weekly programs and we welcome any feedback from our visitors. Please contact us anytime for information and questions. We wish everyone a happy fall and hope to see you for the programs. Stay tuned for updates on the new exhibit, The Tibetan Way and our Halloween Party!

The Tibetan Way!

The Virginia Discovery Museum is proud to announce it's next Exhibit, The Tibetan Way!
OPENING DAY - SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25th!!!
Exhibit runs September 25th, 2010 - March 27, 2011.

A mysterious land in the Himalayas, Tibet is known as the country that sits "on top of the world". Explore the unique culture and traditions created by people who thrive in this extraordinary landscape of mountains and valleys. Visit a nomads tent. Learn the many uses of yaks in the highlands. Try blanket weaving or trade goods in the bustling market. Listen to Tibetan music while you dress in traditional garb for the Losar Festival, celebrating the Tibetan lunar New Year. Explore the Buddhist altars where all Tibetans worship. This exhibit will open your eyes to a fascinating world that remains one of the most inaccessible and intriguing places in Asia today.

Sponsored by SNL Financial

Making the Summer a Success – Thank You to the Museum Teen Volunteers!

This summer, the Virginia Discovery Museum once again hosted the Museum Teen Volunteer Program. We received a record number of applications and accepted 38 volunteers representing 5 high schools in the Charlottesville area. These enthusiastic teens attended an orientation session where they learned all about the museum and its mission. Then, serving as Gallery Volunteers, summer camp assistants, and Date Night helpers, they interacted directly with the visitors creating a fun, safe, and educational environment in the museum.
During the hectic and hot summer months, the staff relies on the MTV program to help monitor the atmosphere in the museum. We had a great group of teen volunteers this year and the staff could not be more grateful for their hard work. They volunteered a total of 945 hours over the summer. That’s tremendous! The volunteers gained some valuable work experience, met new people, and had fun during their time with us. Several of the teen volunteers aim to continue dedicating their time to the museum during the upcoming school year. We wish them luck in the fall season and hope that they will stay in touch with the Virginia Discovery Museum. Many thanks to the Museum Teen Volunteers!

Summer Camp Wrap-Up!

What a summer it has been!! The Virginia Discovery Museum has had a very busy and entertaining summer season. We hope that all of our visitors, both regular and new, have enjoyed the museum, the exhibits, and, most especially, the camps! This summer, the Virginia Discovery Museum hosted 7 camps, each with an original and exciting theme encouraging the kids ages 4-7 to learn to express themselves in new and imaginative ways. The camps kicked off with This Land Was Their Land, an examination into the history and culture of original North Americans such as the Pueblos, Monacans, and Inuits. Kids designed their own straw-covered wigwams, made scrimshaw etchings, and constructed miniature “igloos” out of sugar cubes.

In the Friendship and Fantasies camp, children dove into the imaginative and unearthly world of Neil Gaiman and Tony DiTerlizzi. Embracing the literature of these two creative authors, the children practiced their letters while producing images of dragons and other fantastical creatures. Following the themes of the books, campers made pirate maps and went on treasure hunts, created “crazy hair” out of angel hair pasta, and fashioned their own hot air balloons helping their imaginations soar to exciting heights.

To round out the month of June, our third camp brought the focus back down to earth by Going Green! In honor of the museum’s back gallery exhibit of “It’s Easy Being Green,” children learned about our environment and how to preserve it. Incorporating the museum’s exhibit, the campers made art out of recycled materials, studied the pollination of flowers by bees, and witnessed the metamorphosis and releasing of our butterflies.

July took off like a rocket with the Infinity and Beyond camp that explored the far reaches of our solar system. Campers constructed constellations, turned themselves into aliens (complete with antennae!), and experienced the vast wonders of space with StarLab, the museum’s portable planetarium.

Our Best Friends encouraged the campers to become acquainted with the critters that sometimes become dearly loved household pets. Children interacted with a variety of furry friends such as dogs, cats, hamsters, and even chinchillas! They enjoyed special one on one time with each animal as they learned about the care and responsibility of providing for a pet.

With the end of July, campers ventured to the Asia in the Manga Madness camp to learn about the culture and history of Japan. The children experienced traditional Japanese foods such as tempura and miso soup along with creating their own Zen gardens and cherry blossom paintings. They continued their journey into Japanese culture with woodblock prints, ikebana flower arrangements, shoji screens, and warrior kites. What a way to study abroad without ever leaving the room!

Our last summer camp, Colorful Constructions, focused on the colors and shapes used to create fine art reminiscent of renowned artists like Picasso and Matisse. Campers constructed color wheels, fashioned bug mobiles, and created shapes to make Tanagram puzzles. On one exciting day, the campers ventured out of doors to the Mcguffey Art Center where they met artist Lana Lambert and learned about woodblock prints.

We hope that the children enjoyed these camps as much as we did. Please feel free to contact us with feedback and get ready to gear up for a thrilling fall season when we bring back regular weekly programs and introduce new original programs! Keep ahead of the season by checking out our webpage, our facebook page, and our monthly calendar.

Continuum - A New Exhibition in the Program Room

"For years, the circle has meant everything, and nothing to me, all at once."

-Shana R. Goetsch

Once again, the Program Room at the Virginia Discovery Museum has been transformed into a modern art gallery by the watercolor paintings of local artist, Shana R. Goetsch.

Goetsch aims to highlight the complexity of the circle by exposing the many layers and flaws found within its simple shape. She focuses on the paradox of the circle as "a single tension that holds countless other tensions; it alludes to life, the human body, nature, and religion." The circle serves as her muse for her abstract watercolor paintings whether they represent a barely audible "Whisper" or a manic "Deluge".

These works, on display from August 3-22, can be viewed at any time. The Program Room is open at all times whether for a summer camp, a weekly program, or for your viewing pleasure. Please enjoy the exhibition and let Goetsch abstract watercolors inspire you as you walk through the museum. The paintings are also for sale, so please contact a Staff member if you are interested in purchasing a beautiful work of art.

Thank you so much to Shana R. Goetsch for sharing her works. To view more of the artist's work and her blog, please click here: http://www.artinshanaty.blogspot.com/.

Our New Toddler Room!

Have you seen the wonderful new murals in the Toddler Room? Where before our pirate ship sat in a room of beige, forlornly looking for a sea with which to embark on adventures, now it sits BENEATH the sea.

Our ship has become a SUNKEN pirate ship hiding amongst fish, coral, seaweed, jellyfish, and other magical sea creatures.

The work is the brainchild of talented, award-winning artist J.E. Matzer who generously donated his time and talent in creating this magical space for our young Museum visitors. Not only did he spend months creating the murals at his home in Richmond, Virginia, he traveled to Charlottesville over a period of weeks to assist our Exhibit Coordinator Jennifer Thompson Elmore with the installation of each mural. Then he painstakingly added detailed artwork around each mural to "blend" them into the Toddler Room walls.

During the process, a parent with a sense of humor couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to paint an oil spill too?" Hardee-har har! :0) But no, not on these walls. These walls are an undersea wonderland where Sid the Squid, Larry Lobster and Jebediah Jellyfish frolic and play in and around the pirate ship. And now your little ones can too!

You can view more photos here. Stop by soon and pay Sid the Squid a visit. He'd love to see you!

Thanks to J.E. Matzer for his donation of time, talent, and photographs, and to Kate Steere of Everyday C'ville for her photo!

Date Night Drop-Off Program!

A NIGHT OUT FOR YOUR AND YOUR KIDS!

Are you dying to finally have that date night you've always promised yourselves? Have you ever wished there was a place you could drop off your kids right on the Downtown Mall so you could go to dinner or Fridays After Five? Has your child ever wished they could play in the Virginia Discovery Museum after hours when the crowds have dispersed?

Well, guess what? You can! As requested by our visitors, the Virginia Discovery Museum now has a Date Night Drop Off Program! Every Friday from 5:30pm to 8pm throughout July and August, you can drop off your 3-8 year old while you enjoy all the amenities the Downtown Mall has to offer. Sip some wine over dinner, go shopping, grab a gelato, or catch the free show at Fridays After Five. The Museum has got childcare covered.

And it's so much better than a babysitter! We keep groups small, so kids have tons of room to discover the Museum, and each week there's a different educational theme and craft to make during the evening's program:

July 9th - Rousseau Jungles
July 16th - Glow in the Dark Night
July 23rd - Byzantine Art
July 30th - A Night in Egypt
August 6th - Medieval Times
August 13th - Arrrr Matey!
August 20th - Pointillism
August 27th - Bead Making

A healthy dinner of cheese pizza, carrot sticks, and fruit juice is included in the registration fee, as well as lots of free time to play in the Museum. Sign up today and have that date night you've always wanted - the Museum will take care of the rest!

INFORMATION:
Fridays 5:30-8pm, Ages 3-8
(we request your 3-year-old be fully potty trained)
VDM Members $20/ Non-members $25 (siblings discount $5).

Cancellation fee of $10 after 12pm on the day before registered program. No refund for same-day cancellation. Space is limited to 12 children per week and will not run without a minimum of 4 children. Registrants will be notified by 5pm on the night before the program if we need to cancel. Payment is due when child is registered for program.

Call 434-977-1025 to register your child.

Admission Increase & Blue Star Museums Initiative

Admission Increase
Beginning July 1, 2010, the admission will increase from $4 to $6 per person. This is the first fee increase since May 2004. Since that time, the Museum has created more drop-in programs, installed new permanent exhibits, and improved the content and artistic quality of our featured exhibits. Spending time at the Museum is an investment in learning and costs less than a movie or most recreational activities. Still, the best bargain is an annual membership because it offers not only unlimited admission to the Virginia Discovery Museum, but birthday party privileges, reduced fees for our programs and events, and also reciprocal free admission at hundreds of other museums across the country.

Blue Star Museums Initiative
The Museum is now offering free admission to active duty military and their families. It's part of the Blue Star Museums Initiative. More than 700 museums nationwide will give free admission with a military ID from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2010. Other participating Virginia museums include:

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
Williamsburg, VA

Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum
Virginia Beach, VA

Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries
Norfolk, VA

Boykin's Tavern/Isle of Wight County Museum
Smithfield, VA

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre
Bristow, VA

Carlyle House Historic Park
Alexandria, VA

Chesterfield County Museum
Chesterfield, VA

Chrysler Museum of Art
Norfolk, VA

Colonial Williamsburg
Williamsburg, VA

Contemporary Art Center of Virginia
Virginia Beach, VA

Deltaville Maritime Museum
Deltaville, VA

DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum
Williamsburg, VA

Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Foundation and Museum
Wyethville, VA

Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University
Roanoke, VA

Ferry Plantation House Historic Museum
Virginia Beach, VA

Foundation for Historic Christ Church
Irvington, VA

Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House
Alexandria, VA

Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center
Fredericksburg, VA

Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia
Staunton, VA

Gadsby's Tavern Museum
Alexandria, VA

Hatton Ferry
Scottsville, VA

Historic Hopewell Foundation
Hopewell, VA

Historic St. Luke's Church
Smithfield, VA

Historical Museum of Western Virginia
Roanoke, VA

Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop
Fredericksburg, VA

James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library
Fredericksburg, VA

Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden
Alexandria, VA

Lightship Portsmouth Museum
Portsmouth, VA

Lynchburg Museum System
Lynchburg, VA

Manassas Museum System
Manassas, VA

Mary Washington House
Fredericksburg, VA

McCallum More Museum and Gardens
Chase City, VA

Meadow Farm Museum
Henrico, VA

Morven Park
Leesburg, VA

Muscarelle Museum of Art
Williamsburg, VA

Museum of Culpeper History
Culpeper, VA

Museum of the Confederacy
Richmond, VA

Museum of the Middle Appalachians
Saltville, VA

National D-Day Memorial
Bedord, VA

O. Winston Link Museum
Roanoke, VA

Old Coast Guard Station
Virginia Beach, VA

Old Court House Civil War Museum
Winchester, VA

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum
Portsmouth, VA

Rising Sun Tavern
Fredericksburg, VA

Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
Alexandria, VA

Tangier History Museum and Interpretive Cultural Center
Tangier, VA

Taubman Museum of Art
Roanoke, VA

The Town of Wytheville Dept of Museums
Wytheville, VA

Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest
Forest, VA

US Army Quartermaster Museum
Fort Lee, VA

US Army Women's Museum
Fort Lee, VA

Virginia Historical Society
Richmond, VA

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Richmond, VA

Virginia Museum of Transportation
Roanoke, VA

Weems-Botts Museum
Dumfries, VA

William King Museum
Abingdon, VA

Wilton House Museum
Richmond, VA

Woodlawn Plantation
Alexandria, VA

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum
Staunton, VA

Thank You to our Discovery Dash Volunteers!

You were the biggest reason this year's 20th Annual Discovery Dash was such a success. Over 500 kids and families from 77 area schools participated. We couldn't have done it without you........THANK YOU!

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