Nearly 12 months to the day when the pandemic put a pause on in-person events, The Newark Museum of Art presents Community Day: Zoopalooza on Saturday, March 13 from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
This is an event for all ages! The Newark Museum of Art will be introducing families to live animals while teaching about the amazing variety of creatures in the world through fun and interactive virtual activities and demonstrations. Zoopalooza represents the latest in an evolving series of family programming, adapted by The Newark Museum of Art to broaden its audience due to the pandemic.
With fewer in-person options over the past year, the monthly Community Day series has represented a welcome activity for the public who are looking for fun ways to interact while staying safe. All sessions will be available on Zoom and will be live on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch. The Zoopalooza programs will also be captioned by the Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) system.
“We have heard from a number of families about how much they look forward to Community Day as a reoccurring entertainment option,” said Silvia Filippini Fantoni, PhD, Deputy Director Learning & Engagement at The Newark Museum of Art. “It is a great opportunity to play interactive games with award-winning organizations like Story Pirates or ask questions to experts in areas that interest you.” Previous Community Days have focused on outer space, dinosaurs, the environment and the cultural celebration of Carnival.
“We take relevant themes and adapt them to online settings. But we know we have to make them a bit special, that we are playing to audiences who have Zoom fatigue, cabin fever and so on. Therefore, we make sure the programming includes activities that our audiences can do together Fantoni said. “At The Newark Museum of Art we ‘Make Room to Wonder,’ no matter if the program is virtual or in-person.”
Here are details on the full day of activities:
11:30 a.m. Animal Appetites with Eyes of the Wild
Recommended for all ages
Join Eyes of the Wild to see live animals up-close and learn about what they eat! Bring your questions and prepare to be amazed.
Register here.
1 p.m. Story Pirates: Animal Story Creation Zone
Recommended for all ages
Join the Story Pirates for an animal-themed Story Creation Zone! From the creators of the top-rated kids and family podcast, this interactive live improv show brings kids’ ideas to life, on the spot, for the whole family!
Register here.
2:30 p.m. Animal Habitats with Turtle Back Zoo
Recommended for all ages
Become a Super Animal Sleuth by exploring wildlife featured in our art collection and virtually meeting live animals in their natural habitats during this fun and interactive program!
Register here.
4 p.m. How to Draw Lions and Elephants
Recommended for ages 3+
Join Bob Walters of Dino Art for a lesson in drawing magnificent animals. Learn how to create features and effects that make your drawing come alive! Walters and Tess Kissinger operate a dinosaur art studio, where they create paleontological life reconstructions and dinosaur illustrations, as well as dinosaur and prehistoric life sculptures.
Register here.
Any time: Animal Trivia Game
Recommended for ages 6+
Enjoy our free animal-themed online trivia game! Test your knowledge and learn fascinating facts about the natural world.
To play, click here.
Support for Community Day comes from The Horizon Foundation of New Jersey with additional funding from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
