JulieLeung.com: a life told in tidepools

the shadow of a jellyfish

Wednesday afternoon the girls and I were able to stop by Puppets on Parade. (POP) What fun!

Come one, come all to make puppets big and small. Puppets on Parade is a free community art project for people of all ages. Over the course of two weeks, we will create a cast of characters on the theme: “Awesome Aquatics.” The puppets will be made out of paper mache and simple materials, and there are jobs for people of every skill level

My two younger daughters constructed jellyfish and snails from paper plates, inspired by the examples hanging around us, while we watched others at work, finishing their creatures for our island’s Fourth of July celebration. A group of girls ripped fabric and added tentacles to the family of larger jellyfish on the lawn. At a table two dads talked, one telling the other how the story of how he and his family recently moved to the island. Paint, glue and cooperation flowed. In the afternoon sunshine, projects dried and sparkled. It was exciting to see how materials including old umbrellas, backpacks and piping had been transformed into aquatic puppets! Art and physics are involved, as the community members determine the structural needs of their inventions and play within the limitations of the materials and time.

Check out the Puppets on Parade blog and stop by if you can today or tomorrow from 1 to 5 for the last days. POP symbolizes for me what community means. We come together as individuals with dreams and ideas, for creativity and community. It’s a blast! POP is at the art store on Madison Avenue. A path from the bike rack behind City Hall leads up Madison to the Puppets workshop. Thanks to Kathe Fraga and Wendy Jackson Hall for heading up this great community event! I can’t wait to see Monday’s parade!

half a fish

eyeballs in the grass

through the tentacles