Pearl Fincher Museum Welcomes Elephant & Piggie in WE ARE ART!
The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts has another fantastic summer planned, with exhibitions designed especially for families, Summer Art Camps, free Paint Days, Wild Art Wednesdays and more!
Summer kicks off with a free Family Day on Saturday, June 3, to unveil the Pearl’s 2023 Summer Exhibitions: Elephant & Piggie in WE ARE ART! (A Mo Willems Exhibition) in the Main Gallery and Keittoodles by local artist Beth Brubaker in the Cole Gallery.
Elephant & Piggie in WE ARE ART! (A Mo Willems Exhibition)
In the Main Gallery this summer, the Pearl is thrilled to host Elephant & Piggie in WE ARE ART! (A Mo Willems exhibition), organized by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts.
This free exhibition will feature 75 works including a selection of original illustrations, color digital renderings, early sketches, dummy books and more, as well as a cozy reading area for families to enjoy these wonderful stories together. Since their debut in 2007, Elephant & Piggie have entertained millions of children and adults with their hilarious escapades that impart valuable lessons on manners, empathy, emotions, and—most importantly—friendship.
Mo Willems is one of the most celebrated children’s book authors and artists working today. A New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, Willems has been recognized with multiple awards for his beloved Elephant & Piggie early reader series. Willems began his career as a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he earned six Emmy Awards.
The Pearl’s presentation of Elephant & Piggie in WE ARE ART! Is generously sponsored by AAUW North Harris County Branch. The exhibition opens Saturday, June 3 and continues through September 2, 2023, with regular museum hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is FREE. For more information visit pearlmfa.org.
The Mission Behind This Summer’s Exhibitions
National test results released in the fall of 2022 revealed just how much children were impacted by school closures and remote learning during the pandemic. The report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that reading scores among 9-year-olds fell by the largest margin in more than 30 years. Students attending schools in suburban areas and towns suffered the biggest drops.
Keittoodles: Enter a World of Color and Imagination
In the Cole Gallery this summer, the Pearl will welcome children into a world of color and imagination with Keittoodles by local artist and retired teacher, Beth Brubaker.
Brubaker has been drawing since she was a young child and spent 40 years teaching K-12 art at local Christian schools.
Her Keittoodles began when she was on hall duty at school one day. After gathering papers that protected the floor while her students painted, she started doodling on paint splotches and began to see faces. Her students noticed characters as well, saying, “This one wants to be a princess,” or “That one wants to be a soldier.”
“God allows me to see whatever it is I’m supposed to be doing,” says Brubaker. “The whole point is to make you look deeper. The more you look, the more you see.”
Keittoodles at the Pearl will feature more than 50 pieces from the Land of Keittoodles in an interactive environment where children can explore their Colorworld. Paint Days will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. throughout the summer, using watercolor pens. Paint Days are free of charge and will be offered on a drop-in basis as space allows.
Family Day: Saturday, June 3
To launch the summer exhibitions, the Pearl will host a special Family Day on Saturday June 3 with exclusive opening day festivities. The celebration will include several Art Cars on display, art activities, face painting, entertainment, a food truck, and a new LEGO® brick creation by the Houston Brick Club. Museum members are invited from 10 a.m. to noon for a special sneak preview, with the public opening from noon to 2 p.m.
Summer exhibitions continue through September 2, with regular museum hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is FREE. For more information, visit pearlmfa.org.
Summer Art Camps
Inspire your child’s creativity with the Pearl’s Summer Art Camps! Designed for ages 5 to 12, the week-long camps will be offered Monday through Friday from June 12 through August 4, in half-day or all-day formats.
Each week features a different theme, to engage children with a subject they find interesting.
Campers will explore new mediums, techniques and principles of art through hands-on visual art lessons, outdoor activities, and special instruction from guest artists. Through it all they learn artistic processes, art history, curate an exhibition of their own work, and discover the artist within themselves.
Campers also spend time in the galleries of the Pearl each day. Surrounded by color and imagination, children will be inspired to head back to their studio classrooms and create their own works of art.
For the first time, the Pearl will kick off its Summer Art Camps with a special two-week, all-day camp that combines visual and theater arts. This camp will take place May 30 through June 9 and partners with Troupe d’Jour to explore visual storytelling, performance art, and theatrical skills.
Wild Art Wednesdays
Pearlformance Concert
Classical music and comedy unite at the next Pearlformance concert on Saturday, May 6 at 4 p.m., when Musique chez moi presents Opera Opsidedown: The Songs of Operatic Comedienne Anna Russell.
With in-depth knowledge and barbed wit, concert comedienne Anna Russell created hilarious spoofs of opera and art song, which are still beloved 70 years later. Join pianist Roger Keele and singers Nathan Holmes (baritone), Jimmy Jacobson (tenor), Shannon Jacobson (soprano) and Rose Kearin (soprano) for an afternoon of laughter and song in the Main Gallery of the Pearl.
Spring Exhibitions
Don’t miss your final chance to see the Pearl’s spring exhibitions, which conclude on May 13.
“America’s Western Landscape,” by photographer Mark Burns, celebrates the raw beauty, vistas, and natural diversity of the American West. “Hidden Beauty in the Ordinary,” is featured in the Cole Gallery with a dozen works by artist Lindy Chambers.
About the Pearl
The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts exists to provide direct, first-hand access to original works of art, and to offer outstanding educational and public programming. As the only Fine Arts museum in Harris County outside the city center of Houston, the Pearl operates completely through the generous donations of individuals, businesses and foundations from the greater Houston community, and is free to all.
Located at 6815 Cypresswood Drive in Spring, the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. Donations and membership support are appreciated and help continue the Pearl’s mission of art, education, and community.
For more information, please visit www.pearlmfa.org or call 281-376-6322.
Source: Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts
