Family Day
When: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20
Where: Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville; Northeast Georgia History Center, at 322 Academy St. NE, Gainesville
Cost: Free
More info: www.qvac.org, 770-536-2575, www.negahc.org or 770-297-5900
It will be a family-oriented fun day like no other.
The Quinlan Visual Arts Center, at 514 Green St. NE, and Northeast Georgia History Center, at 322 Academy St. NE, are hosting a collaborative Family Day.
“It is not your average ‘Family Day,’” Quinlan Executive Director Amanda McClure said in a news release. “We’re excited about this collaboration between the ‘art nerds’ and ‘history nerds’ here in town — working together has been a really good fit!”
From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, both locations will offer free admission. And the museums are just a quick quarter-mile walk from each other.
Each spot will feature Pokemon-related activities, from finding virtual Pokemon at the Pokestops at each location (and in between) to sketching portraits of real-life Pokemon.
“We’re jumping on the bandwagon, begrudgingly, but we quickly noticed that both organizations are ‘Poke Stops’ and the neighborhood is positively bursting at the seams with Pokemon, so why not?” McClure said in the release.
Therefore, if it doesn’t rain, the sketching will take on a competitive feel.
Quinlan Assistant Director Paula Lindner explained between the Quinlan and history center, pictures of Pokemon will be printed out on pieces of paper and attached to Popsicle sticks. The children then will be handed free sketchbooks and sent off to draw the Pokemons seen between the two facilities.
Once the kids sketch all of the Pokemon and return to Quinlan with completed sketchbooks, they will receive a prize.
Pokemon will not be the only activity, though. Artist demonstrations, including ceramics, pottery wheel and painting, as well as children’s art projects and a sketch club meeting with a free sketchbook will be offered.
“It will be a good day if they want to see what we have to offer,” Lindner said.
Not only that, but the Quinlan will display special projects inspired by some of the exhibits at the history center, such as Native American pinch pots and weaving. Self-guided gallery tours, door prizes, snacks and scavenger hunts will be available as well.
At the history center, the new green screen will be used to put families into digital artwork showcased at the Quinlan, which is called “Q-ed Up.”
“(The people) will put themselves into the piece,” Lindner said.
Homemade ice cream, made from an old-school churning machine will be available at the History Center.
For more information, visit www.qvac.org or call 770-536-2575 for the Quinlan and www.negahc.org or 770-297-5900 for the history center.