Interactive, multicultural Seasons of sharing exhibit to promote cultural and religious diversity
Debuts Nov. 8 at the Children's Museum of Houston
Sponsored by Marathon Oil Corporation and Baker Hughes Incorporated
Have a piece of it all! Holidays celebrated throughout the world will be vibrantly bursting under one roof when the Seasons of Sharing exhibit is unveiled Nov. 8, 2008 through Jan. 5, 2009 at the Children's Museum of Houston. There couldn’t be a more appropriate celebration in town! With more than 90 languages spoken throughout the Houston area, the Bayou City is a thriving home to a variety of cultures from around the globe.
Seasons of Sharing, Houston’s only multicultural holiday exhibit for children spotlighting seven cultural celebrations, will represent Diwali, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the Lunar New Year. Kids will take delight in a block-long neighborhood of houses where dipa lamps, menorahs, luminarias, Christmas lights, kinaras and the glimmer of the crescent moon will shimmer brightly, lighting the way of the holiday season!
“Through this exhibit, we can share the gifts that each culture contributes to our community,” said Bunmi Gaidi, arts educator at the Children’s Museum of Houston. “It provides a place for families to explore the meaning of their own cultural traditions and of those practiced by other people.”
Kids will get to cruise down the most diverse neighborhood in town. The facades on each house will represent the various holidays observed annually in households around the world. They’ll be able to step inside each home, get cozy and experience firsthand customs and traditions different from their own.
“In doing so, we hope to make children more aware of the rich diversity that exists within our multicultural community,” said Gaidi. “But regardless of how different those practices are, they’ll come to understand these all share the same principles of unity and of giving without receiving.”
A different cultural holiday will be spotlighted each week in which kids will learn about the culture through hands-on activities and games. Experience Diwali with Indian dance, authentic costumes and music during our Spotlight Performance. Check out how we’ve adopted Norway’s holiday traditions and made it our own to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. Or, celebrate the miracle of light by creating your own flameless Menorah, making a Star of David collage and designing your own dreidel decoration. Learn how the moon relates to Muslim culture by making your own fanoos lantern during Ramadan.
Take delight in the holiday by making poinsettias, colorful piñatas and watching festive performances during our Las Posadas WonderWeek. Plus, don’t miss out on a popular Kwanzaa tradition by making corn necklaces, Mkeka woven paper mats and Kinaras!
Seasons of Sharing Spotlight Performances:
(Artists and times are subject to change)
- D-Young Artist Ensemble. Follow the beat of the drum as this exciting drumming group celebrates the thrashing patterns of rhythms and sounds.
Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m.
- Society for the Performing Arts presents Kuumba House. This children’s African dance and drum troupe will rock the house with West African songs and dances.
Thursday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. during Free Family Night
- Anjali Indian Dance Company. Renowned art director, Rathna Kumar leads a traditional fast-paced Indian dances in celebration of Diwali.
Saturday, Nov. 15: 2 p.m.
- Native American Dance and Songs. Check out a pulsating, interactive presentation of Native American songs and dance performed by two generations of Native American people.
Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.
- Young Harmonies, Inc. This city-wide youth choir will delight us with songs of the holiday season!
Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
- Mariachi Hermosa Juvenil will play traditional Mariachi music in celebration of Las Posadas.
Thursday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. during Free Family Night
- Las Américas Ballet Folklórico. This traditional Mexican dance will bring you to your feet with their technical foot work and colorful costumes!
Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m.
- Beren Academy Boys Choir will sing Hanukkah songs in celebration of the holiday.
Thursday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. during Free Family Night
- Intuitive African Dance and Drum Culture. This traditional African dance and drum troupe will perform in celebration of Kwanzaa.
Saturday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m.
Special holiday hours notice:
Monday, Dec. 22 & 29: 10 a.m. – 6 pm.
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
ABOUT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON
Rated a 5-star nationwide children's museum by Citysearch.com, voted “Ultimate Kid-Friendly Attraction” in a Houston Chronicle readers poll, and tied for the nation’s best children’s museums No. 1 spot in Child magazine, the Children's Museum of Houston is dedicated to transforming communities through innovative, child-centered learning. It houses 14 new exhibit galleries of innovative bilingual learning programs for kids ages birth to 12 years. The Children’s Museum is located at 1500 Binz in Houston’s Museum District.
Admission is $7 per person and $6 for seniors 65 years and older. Children under one and Museum Members receive free admission. Free Family Nights are offered Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. courtesy of The Wortham Foundation, Inc. and Kathrine McGovern and the late John P. McGovern, M.D.
Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 6 p.m. For more information, please visit www.cmhouston.org or call (713) 522-1138.
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