Youngsters experience exhibit with busy hands, imaginative eyes

Tic-tac-toe! A caterpillar! Waves! Those were some of the imaginative observations made by the “Summer Bunch” from the Dunham Children’s Learning Center on their Wednesday morning visit to The Gallery at Penn College.

The 4- and 5-year-olds from Pennsylvania College of Technology’s early childhood care facility immersed themselves in the gallery’s current exhibit, “Textiles in Translation,” and engaged in a hands-on project assisted by CLC and gallery staff.



“The children learned to hand-sew a running stitch using needles, thread and fabric,” said Gallery Director Penny Griffin Lutz. “This fun and engaging activity helped to connect the finished artwork to the hands-on technique of making art.” Linda A. Reichert, in her first year as director of the CLC, said, “The children were so excited and eager to talk about each piece and even gave me a second look at the pictures when telling me what they saw. It was my first official field trip, and I felt very at home and welcomed. What a great place to visit!” Reichert thanked the gallery staff for providing “a wonderfully educational morning.”

Showcasing fiber-based artwork by 35 Pennsylvania regional members of Studio Art Quilt Associates, “Textiles in Translation” is free and open to the public through July 22 at The Gallery at Penn College, on the third floor of Madigan Library. The gallery’s summer hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. (The gallery is closed Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays and will be closed July 3-6.) The exhibit can also be viewed online. The second of two artists’ roundtable discussions will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 24. Those interested in attending can reserve a seat by email.