Director's Note 4/1/15
It is hard to predict what one will find each morning at Lynden as spring progresses. The turkeys, who have been dutifully vacuuming up the empty peanut shells beneath the bird feeders, take time to chase the geese away; last week, a tom followed a hen round and round one of Tony Smith's Wandering Rocks, for once undistracted by his reflection in the shiny black surface. Clumps of earth and dried grass made their way into odd corners of the house last week as homeschoolers ran in and out, searching for signs of spring. And Saturday I walked in to find the ponds frozen, their surfaces a turbulent pattern, as if arrested mid-ripple during the cold, cold night.
Field trips have gotten off to an early start, thanks to the milder weather, and most days I look up to see children of different sizes following Naomi or Jeremy out onto the grounds -- from the kindergartners participating in the SHARP literacy program, to the elementary and middle schoolers brought by the teachers participating in our Summer Institute, to the occasional AP Art class. It won't be long before the grass turns green and the docents are out leading tours for children and adults.
We have finished assembling the spring and summer schedules. Most events and activities--some old favorites and some new programs--are already up on our web calendar (check months April through August) or will be shortly. A pdf of the brochure will go up in a few days, and the hard copies should be back from the printer next week. April to August is a long stretch, and I'm sure we will continue to add things as we move forward, so keep an eye on the web site or our Facebook page to see new ideas taking shape. The summer camp schedule has already been out for some time now, and registration is brisk.
Schedules make me think of hours, and there are some changes there, too. We will be closed this Sunday (April 5) and again on July 4 (we just can't compete with parades and fireworks). But we are also going to new, extended summer hours on May 20. Not only will we remain open until 7:30 pm on Wednesdays, but we will be open 10 am-5 pm every day except Thursday. That means we can move yoga and tai chi to the morning this summer, and you can bring your breakfast picnic to Lynden when the mood strikes.
April brings our last few Project Feederwatch opportunities and the final School's Out Workshop of the season (Nature Prints on April 2). There's a grow workshop (some of the grow plantings are currently on display at INOVA as part of their current exhibition, Placing the Golden Spike: Landscapes of the Anthropocene) and a family workshop in which you will learn to make paper beads. The weather looks more promising for Tuesdays in the Garden (the theme is creating); you may also want to check out a new summer program, Story Time in the Garden. Next Wednesday (April 8) Cristina Henríquez joins the Women's Speaker Series to read from her recent novel, The Book of Unknown Americans. It will be light enough to come a bit early for a walk around the grounds and it may even be warm enough to sip your wine on the patio. At the end of the month, artist-in-residence Pegi Christiansen and Robin Jebavy (whose paintings are on view in the gallery through the end of May) offer two overlapping events: Pegi's Failure Round Robin (at which Robin will make a guest appearance) and an artist-led tour of the sculpture garden led by Robin with Pegi in tow. The tour should wind up in the gallery, where you can learn more about the paintings.
On the big planning front, we're putting together ideas for our fifth anniversary celebration on May 30 and lining up the pieces of Movement and Migration, this year's dance collaboration with Alverno Presents. It will culminate in a performance by Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group on July 18.
