July is officially upon us, and along with the usual flare of fireworks and beach escapades, the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative is serving up a cultural feast of free family-friendly events that scream (subtly, of course) summer enrichment. As reported on the county's newsroom page, art enthusiasts, bookworms, and curious kiddos alike can fill their calendars with everything from watercolor workshops to exploratory musical sessions. Let’s take a stroll through the line-up.
If dabbling in delicate hues is your teen's idea of an afternoon well spent, 'Watercolors with The Color Express' awaits them today. Registration is that thing your future Picasso might forget to do — it's recommended, the library website reminds us. The creative play doesn't stop there, though; next Wednesday, puppetry takes a multicultural spin with Katie Adams’s 'Make Believe Theater' — think Hispanic stories infused with Spanish words that are bound to tickle the fancy of young attendees. Meanwhile, adults have a rendezvous with global tunes next Saturday at the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library, serving up an earful of polka, tarantella, and beloved Latin American songs.
Bits N Pieces Puppet Theatre is unleashing its marionettes for a rendition of 'Puss in Boots' that's got kid-friendly fun written all over it on July 15, according to the friendly heads-up from the Maureen B. Gauzza Public Library’s Friends. Aspiring artists and meticulous collectors won't want to miss the archiving class with the Tampa Museum of Art on July 17th and 19th to learn the tricks of immortalizing their collections photographically — heads up, registration is your golden ticket. The same day, wrap your head around Florida's colonial past with a special map-driven delve into history at the John F. Germany Public Library.
Those with a penchant for art heists (the legal exploration of them, let's be clear) can join a discussion on 'The Art Thief' by Michael Finkel at New Tampa Regional Library on July 19th, a tale of obsession with beauty that sounds like it had more twists than a Florida back road. Lastly, for those families looking to dip their toes in bilingual tunes or the mesmerizing swirls of a kaleidoscope, July 21st and 29th promise engaging activities with music duo Evan and Vanessa, and a crafty session at Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library and the Lutz Branch Library, respectively.
