A lighter reflection on personal histories is presented in Saving Stories: A Playful Take on Recording Personal History. Two areas engage children (and adults) with the broader concepts of thinking about and expressing one’s own memories and life story. In the first, a hands-on activity, visitors are invited to journal about their own experiences, based on prompts related to objects in the museum’s collection. This allows them to creatively express their own stories through drawing and writing.
The second area includes two installations displaying artwork by children from two local schools, Claiborne Elementary and Woodlawn Middle. Both schools addressed the subject of personal history in unique ways. Drawing inspiration from the arresting wooden sculpture A Sequence of Life by Frank Hayden, on loan from Hancock Bank and prominently displayed near the museum entrance, Claiborne Elementary’s piece reflects seven different stages and activities of life, building a universal story out of these shared experiences. Children were asked to create their own variation on this theme, drawing the phases and primary themes of their lives as they understand them. The results are fascinating, giving a glimpse into children’s minds that adults can only imperfectly remember. Woodlawn Middle’s contribution is a large puzzle consisting of images that address significant moments in each of the students’ lives.
Bring a child, a friend who’s young at heart, or just yourself by the Saving Stories area on your next visit to the museum. It’s a chance to reflect on the ways we think about our lives while having a little creative fun. To learn more, visit lasm.org/exhibitions/art-exhibitions/saving-stories-a-playful-take-on-recording-personal-history.
