The Art Thing Collaborative, Inc. is a social arts crew on a mission to bring people together by bringing art to the people! We offer fun and inspiring community-focused "Art Things" for kids (and grownups!) of all ages: from epic, hands-on creative battles like Art WAR to big collaborative projects and pop-up, art adventures like Positive Space, where art isn’t just something you look at, it’s something you can play in! We invite your school and community to team up with us to create something inspiring and have some unforgettable fun at The Art Thing!

Interactive Pre-K music programs for ages 2 - 5, and school aged programs for small groups K - 2. Hands-on musical activities with rhythm instruments and creative movement & dance. Book well in advance.

Ira Marcks is an award-winning graphic novelist and educator whose books have been recommended by the New York Times and American Library Association. Ira's in-person and virtual visits include two programs that can be schedule as a single classroom event or combined to create a full day author visit. Program 1: Making Comics. (Performance) An introduction to Ira’s creative process through the unique elements of comic storytelling: frame, character, setting, and speech bubble. This program is intended for a large group. Program 2: Drawing Faces. (Classroom Presentation) A hands-on lesson in designing believable and expressive comic characters. Students will learn Ira's step by step process for creating a cartoon face, followed by an insightful look at the role of facial expressions in comic storytelling. Only a pencil, paper, and Sharpie Marker are required to participate. This program is intended for classroom interaction. Testimonials: “Ira is that rare breed of artist who seamlessly blends his creative side and a seemingly effortless ability to teach. He brings a welcoming and open approach to arts education.” — Carolyn Fagan, Library Program Director, Troy, New York “Ira was one of the most dynamic presenters we have ever had. The students were fully engaged and the teachers were too. We hope he will come back. ” — Martha Sweeney, Head of The Odyssey School, Baltimore, Maryland

Telling multicultural folktales is an amazing way to introduce students to different cultures, learn story structure, boost vocabulary, and enhance pre-reading skills. Storytelling fosters imagination, creativity and is a great jumping off point for writing exercises, and discussions about elements of story from character motivations to rising action. Professional storyteller and author Donna Washington presents age-appropriate story sets to all of your students from Kindergarten to high school. There are perfect stories for all age groups from Anansi the Spider to Zeus! Donna uses dynamic language, energetic expressions and vocal pyrotechnics to bring these stories to life. So, strap yourself in for a wild, fun, entertaining, educational, interactive ride! Use this link to view a video excerpt from this program: https://vimeo.com/442549489/80e27ea56c Artist Background Donna Washington is a professional author, storyteller, and multicultural folklorist who has been sharing stories for more than 36 years. Her amazing vocal pyrotechnics and dynamic physicality make her stories come alive and enthrall and delight audiences from four to one hundred and four. She offers a range of multicultural folktales, personal narratives and stories of her own creation. She is a multiple-award winning artist with eleven CDs and author of five children’s books. Her newest, PRAK FILLS THE HOUSE is available September 1st, 2023. She has been featured at numerous festivals, schools & libraries, theaters, and other venues around the world including Canada, Peru, Argentina, and Hong Kong. Her school shows are grade specific and targeted to students’ age, cognitive, and emotional development.

Sit back and let the musicians of Percussia take you on a musical journey using percussion instruments, chants and rhythms from all over the world. With stops in Brazil, West Africa, India, Cuba and China, this high-octane, engaging program deepens students’ knowledge of geography, global cultures, and their music. Students become active participants in the show by clapping rhythms, singing songs and even participating in a Chinese Lion Dance. Percussia would be thrilled to join you at your next assembly and kick off our trip with our signature samba parade.

The Animal Menagerie, written by Francine Dingeman and illustrated by Marta Maszkiewicz, is an enchanting A to Z picture book filled with captivating characters from the animal kingdom for children ages 4-8. This book is written to entertain and educate by introducing dozens of creative new words into a child's vocabulary. Children are invited to embark on a wild and whimsical journey through The Animal Menagerie! Each letter of the alphabet comes to life with vibrant illustrations and story vignettes, making early literacy development a delightful adventure. The visual imagery, engaging rhymes, and clever context comprehension of The Animal Menagerie will spark a child's curiosity and imagination as they learn new vocabulary words and animal names in a fun and unforgettable way. Twenty to thirty minute visits to grades pre-k and k include readings from select pages of the A to Z picture book and a short discussion surrounding each animal character. First to third grade presentations include a full reading of the book followed by a personal account of the writing/publishing journey with a focus on inspiring young writers and encouraging them along their individual writing paths. The opportunity to project the pages of the book as it is read, so children can view the illustrations along with the reading, allows for an optimally engaging presentation, sparking a child's interest and curiosity as each new animal character story is shared.

Demonstration based assemblies focusing on the science of soap bubbles, light and color, and the wonder to be found in common situations. Beginning with a simple soap bubble we resist the urge to pop and instead observe as it goes through its four stages. We explain why bubbles form spheres at age appropriate levels and then show how multiple bubbles can create a variety of shapes including a cube. Participants are taught the tricks of bubble artists and in workshops they are given the opportunity to be successful. Altman taught high school physics for 35 years and traveled to science conferences speaking about his award winning programs focusing on lasers and holography. Retired, he as authored four science text books and one on the science of soap bubbles.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an essential part of The Mystery of the Character Surprise show. In this 50 minute interactive assembly show students learn the communication skills and attitudes they need to help create a bully-free learning environment. Fifteen students participate on stage, putting these lessons into action – cooperating to stop a bully from ruining the assembly show. Students will also learn how to stop social aggression in its tracks. And they’ll have a blast while doing it! Topics covered throughout this bully-proofing magic assembly show include Being responsible in achieving goals, helping others, and empathy. Plus: Forms of bullying, solutions for victims, responsibilities of witnesses, tattling vs. telling. Includes: Courage | Flexibility | Perseverance | Effort | Making Good Choices | Bullies, Targets & Bystanders | Sense of Humor | Responsibility | Empathy | Honesty | Teamwork | Tattling vs. Telling

John McPherson is the creator of the very popular cartoon panel Close To Home, which appears in over 700 newspapers worldwide, among them the Washington Post, The Miami Herald and the Houston Chronicle. He has published 27 book collections of his work, a line of greeting cards with Recycled Greetings, and is also a nationally known speaker on humor, stress and creativity as well as life as a syndicated cartoonist. His presentations are very funny, engaging, and informative. When speaking to school children his presentations can range from showing kids how to draw cartoons (focusing on the emotions of the characters, perspective, shading, etc) to telling his story of how he became a cartoonist, what life as a cartoonist is like, how books become published, what makes a cartoon funny, how cartoons are animated and turned into TV shows and many other aspects of cartooning. He is comfortable working with children of all ages and is sure to get them laughing and creating their own cartoons.

A violinist and string teacher of 30 years of experience, I offer PD presentations for music teachers such as: "Troubleshooting String Technique Issues," "Jazz Composition in Middle School String Orchestra," "How to help your students manage Performance Anxiety." I also have presentations/workshops for string students, grades 3-12: "Vibrato: basics," "The Process of Sight Reading" In addition, I am available as a teacher coach for music teachers who are new to teaching string instruments (such as a band teacher who gets assigned strings in their school).

Crudo Creates is a multidisciplinary art practice and creative studio led by artist Domingo Cruz. The work spans live art activations, installations, theatrical-style interactive experiences, and community workshops rooted in culture, storytelling, and shared humanity. Crudo Creates has produced programming for libraries, festivals, exhibitions, and public events, transforming everyday spaces into places for reflection, creativity, and collective participation. The work invites audiences of all ages to slow down, engage, and reconnect with themselves and with one another.

Jennifer Islas has been a licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor since 2009. She has provided classes at many local schools and libraries for both students and teachers. Jennifer is a former educator as well and has worked with children from age 3-18 years as a Speech and Language Therapist. Her classes are high energy, interact, fun and easy to follow!