Every year Rhode Island School of Design’s Office of Multicultural Affairs plans a week of programming that focus on women.

This year, Women’s Focus Week will include a film screen and panel discussion highlighting the topic of motherhood and the challenges women face in balancing work and family responsibilities. Given that many laws, organizational policies, and social customs in the United States still rely on a traditional family model of a stay at home mother and working father, working women—and especially single parents—face many hardships. In this series, RISD hopes to give voice to female artists and designers who face many tough decisions, including if and when to start a family while building a career, how to divide time between childrearing and studio practice, and the societal stigmatization of working mothers and women’s art.

I recently saw this film and although I relate to it in part because I used to make my living as an artist I believe this film and panel discussion will be of interest to any mother struggling to balance work and family responsibilities.

Film Screening: Who Does She Think She Is?
Wednesday, March 24, 6:30 pm
RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal St. Providence, RI
Featured Guest: Angela Williams
Free, Open to the Public

“From the producing team, that won an Academy Award for Born Into Brothels, Who Does She Think She Is? examines some of the most pressing issues of our time: parenting and creativity, partnering and independence, economics and art. The film follows five women artists as they navigate the challenges of making work outside the elite art world.” After the film, Angela Willams (a performing artist featured in the film) will discuss her experiences and answer questions.

Panel Discussion: From Her Perspective: Narratives of Work and Family
Thursday, March 25, 7-8:30, Reception to follow
Chace Center, Metcalf Auditorium, 20 North Main St. Providence, RI
Free, Open to the Public

Guest panelists Mairead Byrne, Gail Cohee, Lucinda Hitchcock, Wendy Edwards, Deana Lawson, and Keita Turner will discuss how gender and parenthood affect career and family life, especially for women in art and design. The panel will be co-moderated by Jennifer Prewitt-Freilino, professor of psychology and Ariel Bordeaux, artist and mother.

Wanda & Daughters
Photo by Deana Lawson, MFA ‘04

Wendy Edwards, Brown Dept. of Visual Art

Mairead Byrne (with her daughters), RISD English Deptartment

Artists create portraits for many reasons. They can depict what a person looks like and also reveal their profession, status, identity. Every detail in this painting is intended to tell us that this is a young woman from a royal family. She stands between palm and laurel trees on a grassy terrace above an enclosed garden. Her dress would have been considered very fashionable in her time and is decorated with pearls, gold, and silver embroidery.

English, Active early 17th Century Portrait of a young Women, possibly of the Hampden Family, ca 1610. Gift of Miss Lucy Aldrich. Courtesy of Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design.

With your child: Have you ever sat for a portrait? Perhaps you have had your picture taken at school. Did you do anything special to prepare?

Project: Prepare yourself for an imaginary self-portrait. Dress up in costume. Place a mirror in front of you. Copy how you look using crayons, markers, or pencils. Will someone recognize your facial features? Will they be able to identify who you are pretending to be?

ARTplay is a monthly column from the RISD Museum of Art in which various themes and activities introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. Each month, Kidoinfo will help spark your children’s interest in art, encouraging them to learn about different works at the museum. To learn more about the collection or see the art in person, visit the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, located at 20 N. Main Street, Providence, RI.

All additional inquires or requests should be directed to: Denise Bastien, Collection Information and Imaging Specialist, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. 401 454- 6528. E-mail inquires to: rightsrepro@risd.edu

Willem de Kooning, Black and White Abstraction, ca 1950. Museum Works of Art Fund. Courtesy of The Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design.

Willem de Kooning used a large brush that could hold a lot of paint to create this work. Rather than create an image of something or someplace, he was interested in the act of creating the image and lines created by the gesture of his hand holding a paintbrush.

With your child: Can you figure out where de Kooning started each of his lines and where they ended?

Project 1: With your finger, follow a line from where it begins to its end. How many different types of lines can you find? Can you discover any shapes?

Project 2: Try some line exercises:
• Draw a portrait of a person without lifting your pencil off the paper.
• Draw a picture of an animal using only straight lines.
• Draw for 30 seconds without stopping.

ARTplay is a monthly column from the RISD Museum of Art in which various themes and activities introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. Each month, Kidoinfo will help spark your children’s interest in art, encouraging them to learn about different works at the museum. To learn more about the collection or see the art in person, visit the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, located at 20 N. Main Street, Providence, RI.

All additional inquires or requests should be directed to: Denise Bastien, Collection Information and Imaging Specialist, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. 401 454- 6528. E-mail inquires to: rightsrepro@risd.edu

Kidoinfo is giving away 4 family fourpacks to attend this year’s Bright Night celebration. See details below to enter.

The artist-run, family-friendly New Year’s Eve festival Bright Night promises to be a most magical evening. It’s not that Harry Potter will be running around town or that that a unicorn will appear, complete with magical horn. (Although both of those would be kind of cool.) This year the main act for Bright Night is the magic/illusion spectacular IllusionQuest. A featured act at Six Flags New England for five years, master illusionist David Garrity and his team will magically appear, disappear, pass through solid objects and even float people from the audience.

Highlights from the performance include a comical illusion where David’s assistant ends up all twisted up; David also teaches a volunteer from the audience how to cut his assistant in half; and the finale features a breathtaking feat where David is chained to a table with 32 steel spikes suspended above him and he must escape before the spikes fall.

In addition to the illusion spectacular, your Bright Night ticket gets you access to over 50 other performances involving nearly 160 performers, including choirs, dance companies, comedians, clowns, puppeteers, jazz bands, a poetry slam, and a whole lot more. The schedule (which is being continually enhanced) runs from 12 noon- 12 midnight on December 31, 2009. There’s free on-street parking or pay $9 in the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Tickets (a Tyvek wristband) are $10 if purchased before December 24. Starting December 25, tickets are $15 each, or buy a family fourpack for $50. Tickets are available online, http://www.brightnight.org, in person at the East Side Marketplace, OOP!, and all Bank RI locations, or by phone via Art-Tix at 401-621-6123.

BRIGHT NIGHT NEEDS OUR HELP!

Some would say that the magical part of Bright Night is that it will happen at all. The largest sponsor, the city of Providence, announced in mid-November that due to budget cuts, they couldn’t afford to sponsor the event. That works out to nearly 30 percent of the festival budget. The artists of Bright Night were determined not to let that deter them. The show must go on–New Year’s Eve must be saved. They’ve started a grassroots campaign called GIVE $20, TELL 10. Their goal is to get you (and 2009 of your closest friends) to give $20 and tell 10 people.

In addition, every performer of Bright Night has agreed to take a pay cut if the festival doesn’t get enough money. Talk about community spirit. So do your part, give a little and buy some tickets! To give, visit http://www.donate.brightnight.org

Want to win a family fourpack to attend the 2009 Bright Night Providence?
Tell us in the comments below: “What is your favorite tradition on New Year’s Day?”
We will randomly select 4 people to win a family fourpack (each valued at $50). Deadline is Wednesday at noon, December 23, 2009.

Four days of movies and workshops in the Creative Capital

I am proud to announce that Kidoinfo is a media sponsor for the Providence Children’s Film Festival, Rhode Island’s first and only festival dedicated to children’s films that will take place the weekend of February 12-15, 2010. The four-day festival aims to introduce Rhode Island children and their families to the great variety of high-quality independent films made in the United States and around the world specifically for young audiences.

A delightful collection of international, American and local animated, live action and documentary films will be featured, including recent award winners and favorites from major North American children’s film festivals, such as the New York, Chicago and Toronto International Children’s Film Festivals.  A partnership with Ale Kino!, one of the oldest and largest European Children’s Film Festivals (Poznan, Poland), will bring a program of award-winning Polish children’s animation from 1958 to the present.  And with support from local community arts and education organizations, such as CityArts, the screenings will include a selection of films made by Rhode Island youth.

There will be films suitable for children of all ages, with useful guidance for content and age appropriateness in the program notes. Each screening will have a live introduction, with brief comments about the films and their themes, and for the youngest viewers, questions to guide and enrich their viewing experience.

A partnership with the Department of Education at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum will bring hands-on workshops for children, designed to inspire their interest in the art, techniques and history of animation and filmmaking. The workshops will be presented by experienced filmmakers, including Annie LaVigne, animation instructor in RISD’s department of film, animation and video, and Max Porter, a RISD graduate and partner in Tiny Inventions, an award-winning animation studio in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The majority of screenings will take place at the Cable Car Cinema, 204 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903 (www.cablecarcinema.com), with several larger screenings and presentations taking place at the 200-seat Metcalf Auditorium in the Chace Center of the RISD Museum, 20 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903. Workshops will take place in the RISD museum education department classrooms.

I applaud the people behind the festival who have worked many long hours to make this event happen. The festival was conceived and organized by a group of Providence residents who were inspired by their own passion for film and the city’s rich creative environment and wanted to make more opportunities for local children to enjoy harder-to-find independent and international films. The festival organizers, who include artists, RISD faculty and nonprofit administrators, also believe strongly in the community-building potential of shared theatrical experiences, and see value in introducing children to film and animation as a way to help them make connections to their own and other cultures.

The Providence Children’s Film Festival is a not-for-profit enterprise run by an all-volunteer staff with the assistance of valuable donations of time and services from local businesses. Organizers are planning for the Providence Children’s Film Festival to be an annual event that will grow in size and scope and become a fixture on the Creative Capital’s arts and culture scene. This festival is one more reason why I love raising my children in Providence.

I know my sons are going to love this event. As some of you know, my boys are big movie buffs and they love everything about film, including how they are made, the stories, the people, the music and the final cut. They recently launched their own movie review blog, FlickFlackMovieTalk.com, so I’m sure they will post about the upcoming Providence Children’s Film Festival on their website.

PARTNERS AND SPONSORS TO DATE:

Cable Car Cinema; City of Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism; Cutler & Company; Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge, LLP; 4 Eyes Design; Friends of Brown Street Park; KidoInfo; Providence Athenaeum; Providence CityArts!; Rhode Island Department of Film & Television; Rhode Island School of Design, Department of Film, Animation, and Video; Rhode Island School of Design Museum; Rhode Island State Council on the Arts

There are so many fabulous craft shows, studio sales and local places this time of year selling lovely things made by hand—whether it’s $2 or $200, there is something for every budget.

In Rhode Island:

Craftland Show
December 4-31, 7 days a week, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
Open late on Thursdays and Saturdays ’til 8:00 PM.
Location: 235 Westminster Street, Providence. Admission is free.

While the Craftland Shop is now open year round, it will soon shift gears from the shop to the annual Craftland Show on December 4. Featuring over 170 artists, the Craftland Show is where you will find everything from silk-screened onesies, stuffed toys in the form of slabs of bacon, as well as fine jewelry and paintings. Always eclectic and fresh, with special events scheduled throughout the month.

Special Events:
Opening party: Dec 4th, 5:00 – 9:00 PM
Girls Rock! RI Party: Dec 9th, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Buy Art reception: Dec 10th, 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Hive O’Clock Happy Hour Workshop: Dec 15th, 5:30 – 7:00 PM – $10
Meet the Artists evening: Dec 17th, 5:00 – 8:00 PM

The Foundry Show
Friday, Dec 4th, Noon – 8:00 PM
Saturday, Dec 5th, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, Dec 6th, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday, Dec 11th, Noon – 8:00 PM
Saturday, Dec 12th, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, Dec 13th, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Opening Gala – Thursday, Dec 3th from 5:00 – 9:00 PM

Location: Pawtucket Armory, 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. Admission is free (donations of canned goods are encouraged—they’ll be given to the RI Food Bank)

The 27th annual Foundry Show encompasses both fine art and functional craft with works in a range of media, styles and functions including jewelry, ceramics, textiles, wood, home furnishings, clothing paintings, sculpture and photography. The show is on the first two weekends in December with a Gala Opening night (featuring live music and refreshments). A Charity Benefit Silent Auction showcasing items donated by each Foundry Artist will start on opening night. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the St. Mary’s Home for Children and the Pawtucket Armory Center for the Arts.

photo albums by rag and bone bindery

Rag and Bone Open Studio
Saturday, Dec. 5th, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Rag and Bone Bindery – 1088 Main Street, Pawtucket. Admission is free (create your own book workshop is $15.00)

Rag and Bone Bindery is kicking off the holiday season in a big way by inviting customers into their world of quality handmade albums and journals. The bindery company will also be offering a workshop on how to “create your own book,” as well as major discounts (as much as 25% off regular priced merchandise and 50%-70% off of already reduced clearance items) on a wide selection of items.

Buy Crafts at Chez Pascal Gift Sale
Sunday, Dec. 6th, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Chez Pascal – 960 Hope St., Providence, RI. Admission is free. Please bring food to donate to the Food Bank.

Support local artists and the Rhode Island Food Bank. This small salon style show will feature a handful of local artists. Shop scarves, art, jewelry, sock monkeys, pottery, handbags and more!

painting by deb hickey

RISD Alumni Art Sale
Saturday, Dec. 12th, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. (Arrive early to avoid—or to get a good place in—a long line.)
Location: Rhode Island Convention Center, One Sabin Street, Providence.

Alumni from all over the world come back to Providence with thousands of items for sale, including toys, fine art, greeting cards, jewelry, furniture, clothing, ceramics, and much more. Admission is $7, free for children under 14 and current RISD students.

RISD Expose
Open daily (except Mondays) through December 12th, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: 232 Westminster Street, Providence RI. Admission is free.

A “pop-up” gift shop/gallery featuring RISD student own original works of art – perfect for holiday giving. Working with the Office of Student Life, the organizers found a suitable location in Downcity Providence, invited all undergrad and grad students to submit work and designed the displays and presentation.

Rhody Craft 100
Every Saturday in November, December, and January from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Hope Artiste Village – 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket RI

Presenting a keen collection of local artists and crafters creating a one-of-a-kind seasonal shopping opportunity.

BUY ART
The city of Providence supports the arts with their new BUY ART program. When you shop from downcity merchants this holiday season you will receive a limited edition “I BUY ART” button created by Providence artists. Find out more about participating venues and local events at BuyArtProvidence.com.

In Massachusetts:

Bazaar Bizarre
Sunday, Dec. 6th, Noon – 7:00 PM
Location: BCA Cyclorama, 539 Tremont Street, Boston. Admission is $1.00

A group of artist friends started this show in 2001 as an antidote to that dreaded other kind of craft fair (the kind with duck silhouettes stenciled on little shelves and rosebuds formed from wood shavings). Expect irresistibly clever and lovely jewelry, clothing, art, and toys.

Start at the Station
Sunday, Dec. 6th, Noon – 5:00 PM
Location: Union Station, Worcester MA

A premiere holiday arts event with over 120 artists and crafters, food and more, just in time for all your holiday festivities! Hosted at historical Union Station, Worcester’s renovated train station boasting soaring ceilings and marble floors.

SoWa Holiday Market
Saturday, Dec. 12th & Sunday, Dec. 13th, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: Cathedral High School Gym, 74 Union Park Street (on the corner of Washington Street) in Boston’s South End. Free parking at 500 & 540 Harrison Avenue Admission is $5.oo, children under 12 free

Over 80 New England artisans featuring a wide variety of handmade offerings from the fashionably chic to the cutting edge.

The Harvard Square Holiday Craft Fair
Nov. 28 & 29, Dec. 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18 – 23
Saturdays: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Sundays: noon – 6:00 PM, weekdays: noon – 7:30 PM
Location: First Parish Unitarian Church (at the corner of Mass Ave. and Church Street in Harvard Square). Admission is free.

A long-running, juried show featuring the work of a changing mix of New England craftspeople and world-traveling importers. This show aims to be less like a show and more like a party where you can buy awesome stuff!

Tell your friends! Give handmade gifts this holiday season—to yourself and the ones you love. If you have a local holiday show to recommend, please share the details in the comments below.

Looking for gift ideas for everyone on your list? Check the 2009 RI Handmade Holiday Gift Guide here.

Linda Cox Demers moved to Barrington, RI, from Chicago with her husband and two boys, ages 12 and 7. She runs her handbag and accessories business, à la mode, from home and has recently discovered a passion for blogging. As an independent designer , Linda enjoys promoting local artists and the “buy handmade” movement.

Visit Linda’s blog at http://alamodestuff.blogspot.com.

Okay, hold on to your holiday hats!  This is the ultimate RI Handmade Holiday Shopping Guide with gift ideas, online shopping,  holiday show links, and more.  This season, it’s easier than ever to buy handmade products from local artisans and crafters!  Whether online or at an upcoming arts and crafts sale, you will find something for everyone at every price point.   These are just a few gift ideas (oh, yes, there are many more out there) for you to consider:

Chalkboard cubby with hooks by Sprouts in the House (Westerly)
Celia doll by Primroses (Providence)
Crayon cozy by Acormier77 (Johnston)
Girls sunflower tunic by Splash Apparel
Personalized sterling silver baby spoons by Mark Kaplan (Providence)

Sterling silver earrings by Katy Scudieri (Providence)
Personalized notecards by Anna Cote (Warren)
Boro lampwork flower pendant by Kim V Glass (Hope Valley)
Hand screeened birdhouse gourd print tote by Willywaw
Silk Grecian style skirt by Ikvot ha Mashiach
U.S. Pocket journal by Kristin Crane (Providence)
Beach stone key ring by Stepping Stones (Coventry)
Mosiac guitar by Crooked Moon Mosiacs (Warwick)
Two weevils t-shirt by Smiling Squid
Oil painting on wood block by Erin Spencer (Warren)

Teacup print by Rob Rey Art (Providence)
Flower photo by Diana Brennan
Clock by Karen Miller (Providence)
Cutting board by Taunton Green(Taunton & Providence)
Seat belt pillow by a la mode(Barrington)
Painting by Deb Hickey (Providence)

Ring by Ruby’s Upcycle Designs (Barrington)
Artist set by Pink Lemonade Boutique (Providence)
Recycled rainbow wristlet by Phriendlyk8 (Scituate)
Cheeseburger pillow by Felt Like It (Providence)
Flower belt buckle and leather belt by AWC Designs (East Greenwich)
T-shirt by Lucky Bunny Worldwide (Providence)

Mustard organic bowl by Gleena Shop(Pawtucket)
Cedar accessory organizer by Malcolm Studio Shop (Providence)
Fresh magnolia wreath by Seaside Cottage Naturals (Jamestown)
Handsculpted glass bottlestopper by Tanner Glass( Cranston)
Handsculpted leaf ornament by Elysian Fields (West Greenwich)

Flower brooch by Hanami Gallery (Providence)
Apple stationary by Paper in Style (Providence)
Porcelain bowls by New Moon Studios
Fabric covered magnets by Katie LeRoy (Newport)

Where is your favorite place to shop for handmade crafts?

Linda Cox Demers moved to Barrington, RI, from Chicago with her husband and two boys, ages 12 and 7.  She runs her handbag and accessories business, à la mode, from home and has recently discovered a passion for blogging.  As an independent designer , Linda enjoys promoting local artists and the “buy handmade” movement.

Visit Linda’s blog at http://alamodestuffblog.com.

With your child: The six towers of this sculpture are taller than most grown-ups. They are made up of many identical open cubes stacked together. Sol LeWitt created works of art like this one by writing a set of rules or instructions that other people could follow. He said, “The idea becomes the machine that makes the art,” and he believed that the concept or idea behind a work of art is as important as the finished piece. Therefore the artist could provide the idea or instructions for the work of art and someone else could draw or build it.

Sol Le Witt, Six Towers, 1987. Purchased in honor of Philip M. Johnston, Director of the
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, 1998-2003 and Helen M. Danforth Acquisition
Fund, ©Sol Le Witt Estate, Courtsey of Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Project 1: Create your own Sol LeWitt. Use a black crayon, ruler, and paper to make a drawing according to these instructions from LeWitt’s portfolio WORK FROM INSTRUCTIONS (1971):

USING A BLACK, HARD CRAYON, DRAW A TWENTY-INCH SQUARE.
DIVIDE THIS SQUARE INTO ONE-INCH SQUARES. WITHIN EACH
ONE-INCH SQUARE, DRAW NOTHING, OR DRAW A DIAGONAL
STRAIGHT LINE FROM CORNER TO CORNER OR TWO CROSSING
STRAIGHT LINES DIAGONALLY FROM CORNER TO CORNER.

Project 2: Write your own set of rules and let someone else follow the instructions to make the art.

ARTplay is a monthly column from the RISD Museum of Art in which various themes and activities introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. Each month, Kidoinfo will help spark your children’s interest in art, encouraging them to learn about different works at the museum. To learn more about the collection or see the art in person, visit the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, located at 20 N. Main Street, Providence, RI.

Additional inquires or requests should be directed to: Denise Bastien, Collection Information and Imaging Specialist, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. 401 454- 6528. E-mail inquires to: rightsrepro@risd.edu

We love getting to know parents in our community. In our Home Work series, we ask moms and dads how they juggle their work while raising kids, hoping to get some insight on how to better balance our own work/playtime while being introduced to our neighbors and their cool businesses.  Today Linda Demers interviewed local Providence artisan and mom Heather Toupin. Meet Heather: She is an amazing gocco screenprint artist who makes hip stationary and prints.

Kidoinfo: How did you get started with gocco and screenprinting?

Heather: I’ve always loved printmaking. In college I tired to take as many printmaking classes as I could fit into my schedule. I was a textile design major, so the two complemented each other nicely. In my senior year of college, I took a class called “Art of the Book” and the professor brought in a Print Gocco. I nearly lost my mind when she showed us how to use it. I immediately ran, in a craft-frenzy, to the nearest art supply store (this was 11 years ago when you could still buy Gocco in stores) and bought my own. Since then I’ve been Gocco-ing non-stop. Now that Gocco has been discontinued, I’m slowly transitioning into traditional screenprinting. As much as I love the Gocco, I’m looking forward to delving into this and seeing where it takes me. My first project has been really fun; onesies and toddler T-shirts using some of my designs. I’m also working on getting set up to do my stationery and wedding invitations this way, but clothing is much easier, so I figured that would be the best way to get started.

Kidoinfo: What other mediums do you dabble in or would you like to try?

Heather: Oh, so many . . . I’m one of those people with way too many interests. I’m constantly reining myself in because if I let myself, I would be all over the place creatively. I try to focus on printmaking, but if I had all the time in the world, I would love to become more proficient in photography, knitting/crochet, sewing, and woodworking. I would love to work more paperfolding techniques into my stationery and wedding invitations. And really, I just wish I had more time to sit down and draw.

Kidoinfo: How do you find time for your art with a little one?

Heather: It’s not easy! However, I feel extremely fortunate to be able to run my little business from home so that I can be with him all day. Basically he naps for about two hours in the afternoon. Those two hours go by in what feels like two minutes because this is when I feverishly try to clean up the house and my studio, answer some emails, do my packing and shipping of etsy orders and wedding stuff, and even get a little printing in if I’m feeling extra ambitious. Really though, my work day begins when Finn goes to bed. I try not to work past 11:00 pm, but often, especially during my busy times, it’s more like midnight. I try not to do this too many nights in a row so that my husband and I can have some time together as well. It’s a lot to juggle, but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. I say it all the time but I truly feel like I’m living the dream.

Kidoinfo: What are your favorite local activities you like to do with Finn and your family?

Heather: This summer we discovered what may be Finn’s favorite thing ever: the carnival. He’s too little to go on most of the rides (even the kiddie ones), but just the sights and sounds were enough to keep him busily squealing with glee the whole time we were there. He slept really well that night! We love visiting the local playgrounds, the zoo, and of course the Children’s Museum.

Find more of Heather Toupin’s work in her etsy shop: http://www.heatherjeany.etsy.com/

Find Heather locally:
Craftland (now year round), Providence, RI
November 13th & 14th :: Twist, Northampton, MA
December 6th :: Bazaar Bizarre, Boston, MA
December 12th & 13th :: SoWa Holiday Show, Boston, MA

Linda Cox Demers moved to Barrington, RI, from Chicago with her husband and two boys, ages 12 and 7.  She runs her handbag and accessories business, à la mode, from home and has recently discovered a passion for blogging.  As an independent designer , Linda enjoys promoting local artists and the “buy handmade” movement.

Visit Linda’s blog at http://alamodestuff.blogspot.com.

There is another great reason to head down to Warren these days as the Warren Art Spot is officially open. Right in the heart of downtown Warren, the Art Spot promises to be the place in Warren for kids to take art classes, participate in crafty workshops and have their birthday parties.

Jim and Julia Bush bought the building at the corner of Child and Main that houses the Warren Art Spot about 5 years ago. They were looking for a studio space for Jim to cartoon, draw and paint. With much TLC, Jim completed his Studio/Gallery (www.jimbushart.com) on the second floor four years ago, around the same time that the MUSE Jewelry Boutique moved into the commercial rental space on the first floor. Behind MUSE, however, there remained one very dark, vacant apartment.  In January, Julia and Jim had an “AHA!” moment. With Julia’s background in non-profit management and Jim’s artistic skills and connections, they figured turning the apartment into a studio space for kids to do art would be a good move. After rezoning, gutting and finally renovating the space, they are now ready to go.

At the Warren Walkabout this past Sunday, dozens of kids and their families stopped by to see the unveiling of the new business and meet the teachers. With plenty of natural light, and a colorful checkerboard floor, the room will produce an abundance of creative fun. Many were thrilled to find out what all the construction was about and are anxious for classes to begin.

Jim and Julia are firm believers in Warren. They chose the community because it has many working artists and the Town had created a tax free “arts district.” They are excited to add one more layer to the community and feel that the Warren Art Spot will help meet the artistic and creative needs of the local kids. Starting in November, the following classes will be offered: Cartooning for Kids with Jim Bush, Crafty Kids Take on Textiles! with Hilary Treadwell, and Going Green! Paper Making and Book Making Workshop with Lauren Enjeti.

To register now and learn more visit www.warrenartspot.com.