Family Fun Tuesdays

Every Tuesday June 4 - August 27 at 10 to 11 a.m.
In the sculpture garden unless noted
Free, with $4 per person suggested donation to support the program

Family Fun Tuesdays is a weekly summer-long children's series that provides families with opportunities to experience a variety of art forms, learn about world cultures and experience new ideas together. The series presents all forms of art from storytelling and puppetry to music and dance in the intimate atmosphere of the Sculpture Garden.

All groups, including childcare centers, schools, scout troops, and service groups, must call ahead for space availability, fees, and parking information.

Parking: Caponi Art Park's main parking lot is located at 1220 Diffley Road. Signs will be posted. Please call ahead for handicap parking information.

Weather: Programs will only be canceled in the event of severe weather or if the artist is unable to perform. In case of rain, events will be held under a canopy. Weather-related announcements will be posted on this page one hour before the performance. Announcements will also be made via our enewsletter, Facebook and Twitter pages.

2013 Family Fun Tuesdays Schedule
See the Event Calendar for our full calendar of events.

Jump, Sing and Explore: Discovering the Natural World
June 4, 2013

Birds tweet and bees buzz. Nature sounds are musical! Join MacPhail Center for Music's early childhood music specialists in exploring some of nature's sounds through hands-on musical adventures and activities. Children will experience nature through songs, rhymes, movement, literature, instrument exploration, and visual art. We will swim like a fish, jump like a frog, sing like a bird, mimic nature sounds through instrument exploration, and create!

Wonders of Science: Sound with the Science Museum of Minnesota
June 11, 2013

Vibrating objects make sound! Manipulate objects by plucking, striking, or rubbing them together to hear the sounds they make. A tuning fork, crystal goblets, and rubber bands are among the objects that help our investigation of sound.

Stories from the Laughing Chair with Jerry Blue
June 18, 2013

Jerry's stories come from West Africa and the southern part of the United States. In the African-American community, the storyteller's role is like that of the griots of Africa, who were the oral historians and educators of their time. The storyteller is viewed not just as an entertainer, but as a valued custodian of the past and a chronicler of the future. In the past, when African-American people couldn't speak freely or openly, or when they were forced to laugh when they really wanted to cry, they used stories to get their messages across. Believing that we are all storytellers, Jerry will leave your students with the understanding that each of us has important stories to share.

Reptiles and Amphibians from Dodge Nature Center
June 25, 2013

Whether they love, respect or fear them, people are fascinated by the lives of reptiles and amphibians. Learn about the amazing lives of snakes, turtles, salamanders and more. Dodge Nature Center's naturalist will share information about these misunderstood, yet remarkable creatures, while giving you a chance to meet some of Minnesota natives up close.

Molly and the Magic Boot Puppet Show by Open Eye Figure Theatre
July 2, 2013

Molly and the Magic Boot is about a city girl named Molly who is stuck on Grandma's farm for the summer with no TV, no cell phone, and no video games! But with the help of some fantastical footwear, her fabulous farm friends and a little imagination, Molly discovers how fun the outdoors can be!

Mexican Folk Dance
July 9, 2013

Los Alegres Bailadores offers an authentic and colorful performance of traditional music and movements celebrating Mexican heritage. Beautiful dance costumes worn by performers of all ages create a fun environment for kids to learn about Mexican culture, music, and dance.

Caribbean Music with The Maroons
July 16, 2013

Learn about the rich history and artistic contributions that Africans brought to the Americas. The Maroons demonstrate soca, reggae, calypso and ska. Discover the sounds and influences of Afro-Caribbean rhythms and learn about traditional Caribbean instruments such as the steel pan, conga drums, fonde, rhumba box, guitar and bass.

What is Jazz? with Joan Griffith and Ruth Mackenzie
July 23, 2013

Joan and Ruth use bass, voice, bells and percussion to introduce vocal and instrumental improvisation. They trace the history of jazz through field songs, spirituals, call and response, scat, rap and jam. Help them compose an original blues song.

Flamenco Para Todos with Flamenco Espana
July 30, 2013

In this exciting and energetic program students experience the beauty of flamenco dance and guitar, participate in clapping flamenco rhythms, and even dance. At the same time they learn the history, culture, Spanish language, and musical elements of flamenco. ¡Olé!

Clicks, Claps, Clunks! with the Minnesota Percussion Trio
August 6, 2013

Music first comes from the heart and then you find something to play it on! The Minnesota Percussion Trio uses simple or found instruments such as five-gallon buckets, claves, paper, tin cans, and body percussion, to creatively compose their songs. Learn how these unlikely instruments and their sounds unlock the musical possibilities of the things around us.

The Adventures of Don Quixote with Paulino Brener
August 13, 2013

A highly interactive, bilingual and entertaining show about the adventures of the famous character from Spanish literature. Based on the novel by Cervantes.

Roe Family Singers: A Good-Time, Old-Time Hillbilly Band
August 20, 2013

The Roe Family Singers are a Good-Time, Old-Time Hillbilly band from the Mississippi-headwaters community of Kirkwood Hollow, MN. Led by wife and husband Kim and Quillan Roe, the band blends characteristic old-time sound with rock & roll passion.

Dance to the Four Winds with Ketzal Coatlicue
August 27, 2013

Indigenous people of Mexico have a very close connection to the natural world. Acknowledging the four winds or four directions is an essential part of dance. Each direction has a specific connection to an element of life and to a particular human trait. The dances offered to the winds reflect the relationship of the dancer to the elements present in that direction. For example, a dance to Quetzalcoaltl (the feathered serpent), is dedicated to the direction of the East and to the natural light that comes from the sun in the morning. In the same way a dance to the West is offered to the setting sun and to the idea of renewal. Other dances offered today have similar symbolism. The presentation includes explanations of the dance steps, the meaning of the elements depicted and the tradition of Aztec dance in Minnesota.

This progrom is funded, in part, by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council's 2012 Arts Learning grant and through the Target Foundation.

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