[Archived] June Family Programs at the Durant Arts Center

For Immediate Release: June 1, 2019

The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities' Office of the Arts hosts a variety of family-friendly programs in the month of June at the Durant Arts Center  (1605 Cameron St.).

Bagels and Bach
Sunday, June 2
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Cost: $9 per person, free for children age 5 and younger

Spend Sunday afternoon with classical music and light brunch. These intimate concerts are a great way for families to enrich children’s appreciation for classical music. 

In June, hear the Provázek Quartet. This string ensemble will perform traditional, romantic, classical and modern selections. Members are Mia Lunati (violin), Leah Nickelsburg (violin), Eliza Medearis (viola) and Kristian Dillon (cello). 

First Friday: Family Art Night
Friday, June 7
6 – 9 p.m.

Cost: $9 per person, free for children age 5 and younger

Create the perfect gift for Father’s Day. Dress to get a little messy and join one of three artist-led activities to make and take an original handmade work of art. Pizza and drinks provided. 

• Painting with Teresa Brunson - Age 5 and up with adult
  From novices to young masters, painters create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Limit: 50 people. Pre-register on RecTrac via code 355202.09. 

• Mosaics with Maria Illingworth – Age 6 and up with adult
  Design and craft a mosaic trivet. It’s great for the kitchen or decoration. Limit: 30 people. Pre-register on RecTrac via code 355202.10.

• Sculpture with Sharmila Karamchandani - Age 5 and up with adult
  Back by popular demand. Play with clay and create a multi-colored dragon. Limit: 20 people. Pre-register on RecTrac via code 355202.11.

Monthly Puppet Show
Saturday, June 15
10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

Cost: $6 per person

This monthly series is for the very young and the young at heart. In June, Beech Tree Puppets perform Jack and the Beanstalk in a sensory-friendly show. Jack plants magic beans and adventures to a giant’s castle at the top of an enormous beanstalk.

Save the date for the next performance in the series on Saturday, July 20, with Blue Sky Puppet Theatre and The Three (not so) Little Pigs.  

To buy tickets online, visit alexandriava.gov/Arts. 

For more information about these activities or to request reasonable disability accommodation, contact cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.5565, Virginia Relay 711.

About the Performers

The Provázek Quartetchallenge themselves to play great music. The members share enthusiasm for romantic compositions and fun music, like tangos and adaptations of popular music. They have supported local community groups and causes like ALIVE, Alexandria Living Legends, Alexandria Scholarship Fund, and TC Williams High School, as well as Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and Alexandria Symphony Orchestras.

Beech Tree Puppets, founded by Ingrid and Ole Hass in 2012, bring meaningful and sensory-friendly stories that can break down barriers, and provide insights and resolutions to cross cultural differences, and open people to new ideas and possibilities. Beech Tree Puppets have performed artful performances to schools, libraries and public theaters in the wider D.C. area.

About Alexandria’s Office of the Arts

A division of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, Alexandria’s Office of the Arts promotes the value of arts and culture in Alexandria by nurturing, investing in and celebrating the creative contributions of artists and arts organizations. Through engaging the community, encouraging participation, and facilitating access to the arts, the Office of the Arts works with local artists and arts organizations to build a vibrant community for all of the City's residents, workers and visitors. Learn more at alexandriava.gov/arts or follow @alexartsoffice on Instagram and Twitter. Add to the conversation with #artsALX.