This week the Westwood Hills Nature Center becomes a forge of creativity as it hosts a series of workshops featuring artist Sara Hanson and her transformed MTC city bus, the WOW Mobile Metal Lab and Show. Community members are given a unique opportunity to interact with nature and art by creating personalized metal sculptures.
With naturalists as guides, attendees are encouraged to gather items from the park to incorporate into their artwork. These objects become blueprints for the castings Sara Hanson, the 2023 recipient of the Arts and Culture Grant from St. Louis Park Friends of the Arts, will be creating. "Throughout the week, you'll have the opportunity to collect natural elements from the park with naturalists, visit with Sara at the WOW bus as she creates molds and metal castings, and even create your own small sculpture, wearable or pocket toy at Make + Take workshops," according to a statement from the St. Louis Park's Facebook page.
The workshops schedule includes various sessions where the public can meet with Sara and partake in casting activities. On Thursday, August 22, the WOW bus will welcome visitors from 12 - 4 p.m., followed by a special evening session from 6 - 7:30 p.m. that combines a walk with a naturalist and a metal casting workshop. The bus opens again on Friday, August 23, from 12 - 4 p.m. for additional visiting hours.
Saturday holds the promise of further engagement, with a Make + Take workshop from 10 - 4 p.m. For those who miss the week's activities, another opportunity arises on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the St. Louis Park Art Fair at the ROC, where attendees can "create your own small sculpture, wearable or pocket toy using the molds created at the nature center." All events are free with a suggestion of age 5+ for participation in the metal casting Make + Take workshops.
The integration of art and community at Westwood Hills Nature Center offers a direct and tactile connection to the environment, allowing participants of all ages to transform their natural discoveries into lasting artifacts. This initiative, funded by the local Arts and Culture Grant, ensures both accessibility and education are interwoven into the fabric of the cultural experience in St. Louis Park.
