By Udo Salters
On Thursday, March 3rd, the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling held an open house. The Museum is located on the corner of 155th street and St. Nicholas Avenue in a Broadway Housing Communities (BHC) building.
The staff members on hand who led the open house were Interim Director Sandra Garcia-Betancourt, Associate Director, Development & External Affairs Joyce Lawler, Associate Director, Curatorial Programs Lauren Kelley, and Associate Director, Education & Community Engagement Jennifer Ifil-Ryan. Garcia-Betancourt opened the program by introducing herself, providing background information on the Museum and the Museum’s relationship with BHC. Ana Ofelia Rodriguez of BHC picked up where Garcia-Betancourt left off regarding BHC and the work behind getting the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling into its current state. She encouraged everyone to come back with family, friends and children.
Lauren Kelley and Jennifer Ifil-Ryan focused on the programming of the Museum. A main point presented to the audience is the preparation for the 2016/2017 program lineup includes auditions for storytellers of various disciplines. So If you are an Upper-Manhattan actor, musician, puppeteer, dancer or performance ensemble, you can reach out to lauren@sugarhillmuseum.org or jen@sugarhillmuseum.org to sign up and learn more about the Museum.
After the introductions and some hor d’oeuvres, Lauren led a tour of the space which began with the open space you first enter after coming down from the main lobby.
Covering the walls is the work of artist Saya Woolfalk in collaboration with daughter Aya Woolfalk Mitchell. Lauren provided some background about concept of Saya and Aya’s work then moved the tour into the smaller gallery spaces. One gallery currently displaying work around media and the other gallery showcases some work from The Studio Museum of Harlem.
The tour did not include the studio space of the Artist in Residence David Shrobe, since he was not in attendance. However, he will have regular open hours for visitors to drop in and see what he is working on.
While the tour ended, the good vibes at Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling continued as people networked and enjoyed the space.
Photo credits: 1) Atmosphere. 2) Joyce, Lauren Sandra and Jennifer. 3) Sugar Hill Children’s Museum Open House. 4) Art of Saya Woolfalk in collaboration with daughter Aya Woolfalk Mitchell Lauren. 5) Photos in Gallery. By Udo Salters.
Become a Harlem Insider!
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
