Family Day: Spring Magic
Celebrate the magic of changing seasons at Mia! As spring arrives, look up to the clouds and get a glimpse of mythical creatures: dragons! See precious objects from Mia’s Chinese art collection that represent the evolution of dragon imagery and symbolism in “Year of the Dragon: Mystical Creatures of the Sky,” on view now through May 5. Learn the porcelain transfer process and make your own medallion necklace with the Friends of the Chinese Heritage Foundation. Create a dragon marionette with Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, then show off your creation in a parade through the galleries—led by a giant dragon! Search for your favorite animals on a gallery hunt of Mia’s global collection. And explore recycled and repurposed art materials with a self-guided tour in celebration of Earth Day.
About Chinese Heritage Foundation
Founded by Ming Li Tchou in 2004, the Chinese Heritage Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the understanding of Chinese history, arts and culture, and heritage among all Minnesotans. It also encourages the creation of new artistic endeavors based on Chinese themes. Through both grantmaking and outreach activities supporting these goals, the Foundation hopes to facilitate communication, and promote mutual understanding and trust, between the Chinese community and the Minnesota community at large.
The Chinese Heritage Foundation also responds to current needs in our community, such as climate change, and helps to prepare new generations of Minnesotans of Chinese heritage to respond and become good stewards of our precious and finite resources.
At times the Foundation has stepped out of its Minnesota borders, as it did in underwriting the commissioning of a new opera based on the famous Chinese novel, Dream of the Red Chamber. In 2016 San Francisco Opera presented the world premiere of this opera to worldwide acclaim. It went on to tour to Hong Kong and China to sold-out houses. Subsequently its set and costume designer, Tim Yip, came to Minnesota to collaborate with Mia’s curator, Yang Liu, to produce the groundbreaking and blockbuster exhibit, Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes.
Through all its efforts, the Foundation works to build enduring friendships and a strong community for all Minnesotans.
About In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre
Start with Water, flour, newspaper, paint. Add a large measure of IMAGINATION and a dollop of ARTISTRY to make STORIES about our world come ALIVE through PUPPETS. This is in the Heart of the Beast’s nearly 50 year-old puppet recipe.
Since 1973, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre has helped to create and cultivate the puppetry community in the Twin Cities. We are a world-renowned theater recognized for our large scale puppets and political activism. We have brought some of the most talented puppeteers to Minneapolis while maintaining a strong connection to the local puppet community.
In the HEART of the BEAST (HOBT) is a community of artists working within our larger community to create magic together. We make puppets large and small-monstrous, beautiful, silly, human, plant, animal, you name it. We use gesture, voice, form, and color, giving life to puppets that help tell stories to represent the world as it is and as we dream it could be.
Family Day Major Sponsor:
