Anyone who has participated in any of the music or theatre classes at Laura's Center for the Arts has encountered bubbles.  Lots of bubbles.  Recently we discovered an awesome bubble recipe that has been used to make all the bubbles used in class and we wanted to share that with you!!  So put on your lab coats (or an apron will do) and get ready to mix up a batch of fun!!

The Ingredients:

I used standard tap water, Palmolive Dish Soap, and Glycerin (which is availble with the baking supplies at AC Moore)

Directions:

The recipe is very simple.  Empty out about a half cup of the water, and replace it with dish soap.  Add about 2-3 tablespoons of the glycerin, and shake.  The bubbles will work immediately but it's better to let the chemicals combine for 24-48 hours before using.  Try experimenting with different scented soaps, or even adding food coloring to the bubbles to create a funky colored bubble!

All that's left is to grab your favorite bubble wand, put on your favorite music, and blow some bubbles!

Let us know your favorite songs to blow bubbles too or send us pictures of you playing with your D.I.Y. bubbles! 

Looking for something to do around here to take your mind off of this endless Winter?  Why not head into the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston with the family to explore the mind of William Kentridge.  The video installation is called "William Kentridge: The Refusal of Time," and explores humans' evolving perception of "time."  Kentridge put together this work alongside professor of History of Science at Harvard University, Peter Galison.  The pair worked at making sure they struck the correct balance of art and history; a balance that is excellently struck with vibrant dance and music alongside a comprehensive run down of our understanding of time starting back at our earliest, celestial based thinking.
How does your family experience time as opposed to each individual family member's experience of time?
What kind of funky dance moves can you create to go along with the music in Kentridge's video?

Our January edition of ArtsReach went off without a hitch!  I think that we are really hitting our stride with the way program is designed and it is so great to see ArtsReach start to catch on with the kids.

We've matched the kids up into mentor/mentee pairs to promote collaboration and joint discovery.  These kids were great about this new aspect of the program and our mentors did a fabulous job of taking ownership over their important role.

This month we made artwork that responded to the work of Karie O'Donnell who is our gallery artist this month.  As a Brant Rock native, Karie creates artwork that is inspired by the sea.

 After we were finished making artwork everybody brought their piece back into the gallery space to share the decisions they made with the group.  We got into discussion about what "mixed media" means as well as what it is to create artwork as a response to another piece.  "Is it copying?" "Is it tracing it and then coloring it differently?" It can be both of those things and more!  A lot of the work made that day had a bit of a tropical feel to it, which you can't blame them for with these bitter days we've been having.  Even though their art seems as though it is from the tropics, and Karie's work is based more firmly in Marshfield, it is still the sea no matter where you find it.

Thanks for coming ArtsReach participants!! Hope to see you again next month for the February edition of ArtsReah where we will be looking at artwork made from artists from the group called SNAC.