Samantha Sandusky, graduate assistant in the education department, said the event focuses on both creation and education.
“We will be making panpipes, drums, harmonicas and castanets,” Sandusky said. “We will also have objects from the Mathers Museum’s Education Collection available for children to look at and perhaps even play with.”
The event coincides with the museum’s new exhibit “Instruments of Culture,” which, according to the museum’s website, explores how the world’s musical instruments are classified and studied and why.
The museum, Sandusky said, tries to host events for families each month to help bring the community together to learn and experience various forms of world culture.
“Events like Family Craft Days provide incentives for families and individuals to visit the museum when they may not otherwise,” Sandusky said. “We are able to reach audiences that we might not be able to.”
Sarah Hatcher, head of programs and education at Mathers, said she hopes the event will inspire attendees to attend future museum events, as they have many new and exciting exhibits in place for this season.
“The Mathers Museum has many new exhibits for our visitors this year,” Hatcher said. “Three focus on food, and one focuses on music. We hope that people feel encouraged to come and learn more about food, music and other things that we can all relate to.”
Hatcher and Sandusky said they agree that cultural events such as this one help foster a needed learning spirit in children and ?families.
“Family events provide us with the opportunity to teach children and their caregivers about culture in interesting and exciting ways,” Sandusky said.
Children, Sandusky said, may not be able to fully understand the larger significance of the lessons they learn at this type of event, though they are no less important at that formative time.
“Young children may not be able to appreciate the fact that all humans share many of the same challenges and opportunities, but they can begin to develop respect, tolerance and understanding by making crafts and learning about the people and places those crafts come from,” Sandusky said.
The event will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Attendees are encouraged to bring an empty soda or water bottle to make their own maracas during the event.
For anyone who attends this event and enjoys him or herself, Sandusky said she has good news. The museum plans to have a culinary- and holiday-themed event on Dec. 7.
