Calling elementary school children for a weekend-long sculpture workshop! Join local artists August Sklar and Nolan Boomer for two morning sessions on how to make miniature houses inspired by Elfland. Both sessions we will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road Somerville, MA 02143.

On Saturday, May 11, artists will teach the techniques of hand building with clay to construct the fairy home sculptures. This technique is a great introductory method to working with clay, as it requires little to no skill and promotes intuitive making. Children do not need any prior art experience to enroll in this class. Once the air-dry clay hardens, we will adorn the structures with an array of natural materials and craft supplies.

On Sunday, May 12, kids will finish up the models and then the group will walk to the Somerville bike path to display them in a Mother’s Day fairy parade, families welcome.

EVENT TIME: Attendees must attend both sessions.

Session #1 = Saturday, May 11 | 9am–12pm

Session #2 = Sunday, May 12 | 9am–12pm (includes a Mother’s Day parade walk from the Somerville Museum to the Somerville bike path)

ADMISSION: FREE! This program is sponsored by an LCC grant from the Somerville Arts Council.*

Attendees must be between the ages of 7 and 12 years of age.

MATERIALS: Materials will be provided.

NOTES: Each attendee will be required to sign a waiver to participate. Spots in the workshop will be given to first ten (10) children to register. Space is limited and spots must be reserved in advance. No walk-ins will be allowed.

Please cancel 48 hours in advance so we can offer the opportunity to other children.

PARKING: Please note that there is no dedicated parking at the Somerville Museum. For more information and how to get to the Museum please review our website: https://www.somervillemuseum.org/gettinghere

ACCESSIBILITY: The Somerville Museum is now handicapped accessible. The ADA entrance can be found on the ground level at 1 Westwood Road. For more information, please check out our website at https://www.somervillemuseum.org/gettinghere or email us at info@somervillemuseum.org.

About August Sklar + Nolan Boomer

August Sklar is a visual artist and educator, currently studying landscape architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. They have taught sculpture to children ages four to seventeen, at various arts nonprofits, including Abrons Art Center, Art OMI and City Arts for Youth. They have served as an assistant teacher in the specialized education department at Avery’s Creek Elementary School in Buncombe County, North Carolina and are invested in cultivating spaces for neurodivergent children, who learn in ways that go beyond the capabilities of the educational system. Nolan Boomer is an architectural history doctoral student at Harvard University. They write for publications like New York Review of Architecture, Artforum, PIN-UP, and Places Journal. They are passionate about model making and excited to teach.

About Elfland

To learn more about the Elfland movement in Somerville: https://www.somervillemuseum.org/elfland

*This event is a collaboration with the Somerville Museum. Any donations made benefit the Somerville Museum’s programming, staffing, and overhead expenses.

*This program is supported in part by a grant from the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.