Art in the Barn: Storytime and hands-on art project for Pre-schoolers  is a new drop-in workshop for preschoolers at Walt Whitman Birthplace. Taught by Lena Massari Sawyer, former Museum Educator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Come and join us every week as we read various stories including the award-winning Caldecott books.  Learn about artists of the past and create your own artwork.

March 16, 2024
Come celebrate the color GREEN with us for Saint Patrick’s Day!
We will be reading the book “Green” by Laura V. Seeger and exploring Henri Rousseau’s very green Jungle paintings.  A magical surprise will follow.

Members: $13  Non Members: $15
(Per workshop, tickets can be purchased at the door)

See Winter Calendar below.

Picture Books are a crucial tool for developing a child’s literacy and language skills in their early years.  They help build self-confidence as the child learns to read through visual thinking. The children will read a book, then tell their own story through collage and other multimedia materials. They will look at the different elements of art such as changing perspective, scale, as well as multiple points of view through drawing and using collage materials. In addition, each child will be given a small plastic magnifying glass to explore a tinker box filled with objects from nature such as seashells, rocks, etc.

Lena Massari Sawyer has been an educator for over 25 years. She taught Art History and Studio Art to children for over two decades at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  While at the Met, she specialized in early childhood education, creating and teaching numerous art history and children’s literature classes.   Lena has been a long-time resident of Long Island. She teaches art history, painting and other multimedia classes both at the Birthplace at the Little Studio in Northport Village.  Lena holds a bachelor’s degree in art history and performed her graduate studies in Museum Education at New York University.

Art in the Barn Winter Calendar

February 3rd – Black History Month
A look at Royal Art of Benin from Metropolitan Museum of Art, with a reading of the 2011 Caldecott winner: “Dave the Potter Artist, Poet, Slave” by Laban C. Hill and Bryan Collier.  Project: drawing and clay.

February 10th –  Celebrate the Chinese New Year with Us!
Learn about Chinese scroll painting, paint will calligraphy brushes and read about your own personal Chinese zodiac in “The Legend of the Chinese Dragon” by M. Sellier, C. Louis, W. Fei.

February 17th –  Come and explore Romare Bearden’s groundbreaking collage celebrating African American Urban life in “The Block”
A multimedia art project will follow and Barney Saltzberg fun book “Beautiful OOPS” will be enjoyed.

February 24th – Travel with us to Africa and learn about African Masks!
Class will end with the book “Me… Jane” by Patrick McDonnell about Jane Goodall, the English Anthropologist and “Can you Spot the Leopard” by C Stelzig.  Bring your favorite stuff animal to class!

March 2nd – Women’s History Month
Learn how to paint large flowers like Georgia O’ Keefe did.   “My Name is Georgia: A Portrait” by Jeanette Winter will be read.

March 9th – Explore the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama
We will be painting and reading “From Here to Infinity” by S. Suzuki and E. Weinstein.

March 16th – Come celebrate the color GREEN with us for Saint Patrick’s Day!
We will be reading the book “Green” by Laura V. Seeger and exploring Henri Rousseau’s very green Jungle paintings.  A magical surprise will follow.

March 23rd – Experience the world of Alma Thomas Paintings
Shapes, color and movement in art will be discussed.  “I Spy Shapes” in Art by Lucy Micklethwait will be explored.

March 30th – No class