It was impossible to be bored at the free, fifth annual Nat Fast Children’s Art Day held at the Discovery Museum on Sunday, Jan. 25, from noon to 4 p.m.
The event honors the late and beloved local artist and educator Nat Fast.
Children’s Art Day was like an indoor street carnival with face painting, finger painting, sculpting, and crafts available to the crowd of kids, aged (a guesstimate to be sure) from 15 months to 12 years old.
The art activities, music, and entertainment were in addition to the regular museum attractions, many of which were irresistible to parents. With great glee, I played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on the floor piano, and tried my hand at a contraption that moves little objects about in a glass case.
The museum staff did a crackerjack job of getting the word out about the free event.
“We distributed tons of flyers,” the museum’s executive director, Chris Slaughter, told me. As a result, about 300 kids, parents, and grandparents swarmed the museum at the corner of Jones and McClelland.
Part of the fun for bystanders like myself was watching the wonder and excitement displayed by the kids
as they moved about from activity to activity, and observing what holds the interest of a child.
Anything that you can bounce on or that makes noise is high on the youth hit parade. A big Kimball organ, gift of a donor, stands in the back of the museum. Kids are free to pound on it for the sheer joy of making noise. “[The organ] is a big hit,” Slaughter said.
About all the hustle and bustle, visitor Jerry Stinn said, “It tickles me pink to see this level of activity.” He and wife Lynda Gannt dropped by to check out the action.
Also observing were Karolyn Addington who was with Don Ward and his two grandchildren. Dr. Robert and Louise Hammond joined several adults watching the video presentation that Dr. Hammond put together several years ago. The video was a collage of photos of Nat Fast and his art.
CASA volunteer Dana Whitted brought her CASA child. “She loves it,” Dana said. “I brought my former CASA child here, too.
“What’s great about this place,” she added, “is that if you show them your CASA badge, you and the CASA child get in for free.”
Jennifer Milos was the big attraction. This young woman face-painted kids for four hours. There was always a waiting line of at least 10 for her services. The little girls loved the butterfly look she gave them, and the little boys were in love with the sort-of-scary look they achieved.
Kids loved going in and out of the teepee and riding the rocking horse in what looked like the O.K. Corral. They loved trying on firemen’s uniforms and climbing a wall.
There were kids in the Discovery Café and kids “answering the phone” and “making change” in the Coast Hills “Bank.”
Several members of the Fast family were on board for the goings-on: Marti Fast, Mark and Natalyn Fast Huerth, Tom and Linda Fast, and Sam Fast with son Cyrus Marti, who teaches art at Allan Hancock College.
“My father would have loved the spirit of this event,” Cyrus said.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Feb 5-12, 2015.