Happy Summer Solstice Kindling Community!
Hello lovely people,
Just like that! We’ve slid into summer. I could really feel the kiddos deep desire for more unstructured play during those last few weeks. In after-school art club, kids made countless worlds out of various recyclables, including this adorable impromptu puppet show.
I have a few spots left in summer offerings, so check those out. I also wanted to let you know about a couple super sweet community events happening before the building demolition begins!
Hope to see you soon!
💫
What’s coming up?
Saturday Morning Community Art
Check out this throwback picture to the first free community art morning last September!
The sun and moon murals were painted to honor the fall equinox, with help from mural artist Amy Zaremba (who designed the gorgeous moon and firefly scene!)
I’m excited to share that Amy and I will be working together on the creation of murals on the new buildings coming Fall 2026. More on that below!
Back to free community art.
This Saturday, June 21, please join me from 10-12 for some outdoor artmaking! See next.
Kid Artists for the
Eastmorland Community Center!
This Saturday, neighborhood organizer and brilliant idea generator, Sheena Buerger (iykyk) and I will be kicking off a new project. Kid artists of all ages are invited to help with a printmaking project as a fundraising effort for the new Eastmorland Community Center!
Once we’ve made enough prints, we will create a system where neighbors can request a one-of-a-kind work of art be delivered to themselves or neighbors in exchange for a donation to the Eastmorland Community Center. (Likely Fall 2025) Kid artists and their families can volunteer to help deliver the prints, then enjoy a playground delivery party.
This Saturday will be the first phase of the project, making prints! There will also be a station with open art options for kids to take works home.
Come spend some of your longest day with us, listening to Make Music Madison, creating art, and being together. 💕
Clay Play for Adults returns!
Lori Henthorne, everyone’s favorite high school art teacher, is back! Join her for an evening session to explore hand building and monoprinting on clay. Make stuff, make new friends, and fall in love with clay! Lori will fire your projects in her home kiln, so you will leave with some forever treasures or sweet gifts. No experience necessary.
Mondays June 30
4-8pm
$45
2 spots left! Sign up with a friend!
Sew Stuffies with Kaitlin!
Ages 6-10
Let’s make cute felt stuffies! Each kid will be able to explore hand sewing and create their own unique stuffy. An afternoon of arty fun. Healthy snack included.
Monday July 21
1-4pm
$45
Kaitlin lives right here in Eastmorland! She is a wildly talented quilter and teaching artist who often shares her love for quilting with kids and adults through classes at the Textile Arts Center of Madison. Learn more about her joyful approach to textile arts and check out some of her creations through the following links! www.quarterlifeleap.com @quarterlifeleap
Tinkering Tots: Summer
Art Play Sessions
Ages 1-5 + grown-up
Let’s encourage the wild imaginations of our littlest creators. We will use non-toxic mixed media materials like paint, clay, textiles, and more for sensory exploration of colors, textures, shapes, and patterns.
Tuesdays 9:30-11am
Summer Session: June 24 - July 8, $30
One-time drop-in rate $15
Facilitated by Carrie
Summer Art Play
Ages 6-8
These fun art play sessions will use mixed media to explore a theme, prioritizing child-led exploration of materials and ideas.
July 2: Light, shadow, and rainbows!
July 9: Tiny worlds, building in 3D.
1-4pm
$40 each, snack included
Facilitated by Carrie
Don’t miss this neighborhood celebration coming up, Sunday July 27th!
Any of you remember when Madison Public Library held the epic “Bookless” party in the old central library, before moving to the gorgeous new one downtown? It was such an unforgettable coming together of artist and community to celebrate the common good that is our magical public library system. Inspired by that type of event, the Eastmorland Community Center and Common Grace Church will host a day of community building in our empty building.
Here’s what to expect:
11:00-11:45 - David Landau!
12:00-12:20 - Celebration Ceremony and Announcements
12:00-3:00 - Food Trucks will be available
1:00-4:00 - Interactive community art activities
Engage with ideas for the new building murals with Amy Zaremba and myself!
Help create a time capsule!
Help Madison Death Collective build a windphone!
Another chance to make prints for the fundraising project mentioned above!
Paint all over the hallway walls!
Other celebration elements will include chances to meet some of the amazing folks pushing this project forward, a display of plans for the new development, facepainting, yard games, and more!
A note about the future of Kindling and The Eastmorland Community Center.
Our home, The Eastmorland Community Center (ECC), is pursuing a site redevelopment starting August 2025. The church-centric structure will be taken down, to be replaced with 24(ish) units of workforce housing and a new mixed-use community center. Kindling will essentially be without a physical home for about a year, and I plan to move into the new center in Fall 2026.
Learn more about the project history, timeline, and other details here!
