2018: AN ESCAPE VELOCITY

We had so much fun at this year's Escape Velocity, hosted by the Museum of Science Fiction! Art Brains was on site creating dioramas of imagined landscapes on other planets (and our very own moon), with kids stopping by making aliens, spaceships, other-worldly trees, mountains, houses, planets, and more. By the end of each day, our dioramas were overflowing with said contributions, which we then photographed and transferred to the magical green screen so that kids could take their pictures INSIDE the worlds they helped build. 

We also received visits from R2D2 and Chewbacca, got to talk to NASA scientists and Klingons, see reproductions of ships, space pods and other props from movies like Star Wars, 2001: A Space Oddyssey, Ghost Busters, and Dune, learn about 3D-printing, watch science films inside an inflatable planetarium dome, and *lots* more!

Here are some snaps from the weekend. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, we can't wait for next year!

ART BRAINS AT ESCAPE VELOCITY + discount code!

We are thrilled to announce Art Brains will be at Escape Velocity this year, May 26 - 27th at the National Harbor (Oxon Hill, MD)*! What is Escape Velocity, you ask?

Escape Velocity is a futuristic world’s fair to promote STEAM education within the context of science fiction using the fun of comic cons and fascination of science and engineering festivals. Escape Velocity's mission is to attract young people to science, technology, engineering, art, and math by producing and presenting the most compelling, exciting, educational, and entertaining science festival in the United States using science fiction as its primary engine.

This three day event will be jam packed with scientists, engineers, writers, filmmakers, costumes, technology, games, movies, simulations, exhibits, talks, workshops, activities, a museum display of iconic movie props, costumes and models, not to mention a life-size Millennium Falcon cockpit (!!!) So many incredible opportunities for STEAM learning and inspiration for both kids and adults! 

Art Brains will have a booth of our own on Saturday and Sunday where we'll be doing one of our favorite activities - imagining and fabricating new worlds with creative kids. Dioramas of kid-made, sci-fi landscapes will be transformed into life-size interactive green screen imagery. Come build worlds with us, and then see yourself step into those worlds!

Kids 10 and under get in FREE, but must be accompanied by an adult

>>>>Use the discount code ARTBRAINS20 to get 20% off your ticket order, here <<<<

and click here to explore the Escape Velocity events page

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated into the awesomeness of Escape Velocity. Get your discounted tickets now and get psyched!! 

THEMES FOR WINTER 2016

With many schools in the DC/metro area closed since the snow started last Friday, Winter has undoubtedly come. And with it, our Winter Art Brains session, including subjects of exploration such as:

- the mysteries of dark matter
- Valentine candies for storybook characters
- daguerreotyping
- journeys to the center of the Earth and
- Medieval tapestries, to adorn and insulate our castle walls against the chill of the season!

Here's to school weeks that start on Thursdays, the make-up classes that result, and...unicorns. !

MUSIC FOR PLANTS (AND ANIMALS)!

Edward Hicks, Peaceable Kingdom, oil on canvas, 1837

One of our favorite projects this season was aural in nature - nature being a key word! For the first time in our after school program, the Art Brainers used a strictly musical approach in their art making. They were asked to imagine what kind of music plants, animals, and other elements of nature might like, and how that music might sound different from our own. Would a squirrel like to listen to wild, crazy music, or soothing sounds like wind blowing through the leaves of a tree? What kind of sounds might make a cactus feel happy? Each class used some instruments and their own hands and voices to compose and perform songs for a few select creatures. You can listen to some examples of the results below. 

These have not been market tested just yet, but I can say that my cat jumped up and exited the room upon hearing a number of these, so I'm thinking we've accomplished *something*, though that something may not be for cats. ("Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable," etc.) 

And because hearing the kids' voices introducing each of the songs was killing me with cuteness, I couldn't resist collecting a bunch of those in one place, too. 

Click "Read more" below to take a listen to the Art Brains kids' awesome tunes, and report back if your pet electric eel is into it!