In this four-session series, young artists will create soft-sculptural “pocket portals” — small, fabric-based artworks designed to hold and protect meaningful objects. Participants will explore textile dyeing and surface design techniques, including bundle dyeing, eco-printing, and stamping, using both natural and traditional art materials to create colorful, patterned fabrics. Handmade and found textiles will then be combined through hand-sewing and soft-sculpture techniques to create one-of-a-kind works of art. 

Artists will take inspiration from installations at The New Children’s Museum, including The Wonder Sound by Wes Bruce (he/him) and Future Ancestral Technologies: Odyssey by Cannupa Hanska Luger (he/him). Through these works, participants will explore themes of nature, storytelling, and sustainability, embracing the creative potential of upcycling and the use of natural and found materials in the art-making process. 

This series is led by Artopia’s Art + Creative Learning Manager, Danielle Rives (she/her), and Sr. Teaching Artist Sophie Mueller (she/her). Danielle’s practice — rooted in painting, drawing, textiles, and mixed-media processes — explores the intimate and the everyday, drawing on imagery, materials, and techniques traditionally associated with femininity and domestic life. 

Questions about parking, accessibility, or our cancellation policy? 
Visit our Artopia: NCM Creative Studios FAQs page for all the details you need to plan your visit: https://thinkplaycreate.org/artopia-faqs/