Director's Note 8/1/14
Sighs abound: sighs of relief (we survived July's dicey weather), sighs of wonder (were those Trisha Brown dancers really floating out on the Big Lake? did I just see Saturn through a telescope?), a few weary sighs (did we really do all those things in one month?).
A month as action-packed as July was the work of many hands. Special thanks to Mortara Instrument and all of the volunteers--including two teachers from our Summer Teacher Institute--who made our first Free Family Sunday a success, bringing 400 people, mostly first-time visitors, to Lynden; to Rob Powell who shared his telescope and knowledge of the stars and planets at our Midsummer Saturnalia; and to Cate Deicher, Paul Druecke, Nicholas Frank, Elizabeth Johnson, and especially Jenna Knapp and Kim Miller and all the participants who made our Conversations with Sculptures such a rich, month-long experience. And of course a final shout-out to Alverno Presents and the Trisha Brown Dance Company, without whom we would not have been able to experience the workshops and those two remarkable performances.
August promises to be less frenetic, and a good month to enjoy a calm visit, a walk (this has been just the right weather for the flowers in the formal garden), or a picnic at Lynden. Also a great time to investigate the work of Paul Druecke and Nancy Popp in our latest Inside/Outside exhibition. August could also be the month that you commit to a weekly outdoor Tai Chi class with Angela Laughingheart--our new four-week session begins Sunday, August 3, and we'll offer a Wednesday morning class beginning August 6 if there are enough takers.
The biggest date looming on the August calendar is the 21st, when we invite you all to Lynden for our third annual Backyard Barbecue. In addition to being lots of fun--great food by Braise, a strolling magician, plenty of hands-on art and nature activities for kids--this is our sole fundraiser and an important source of support for our education programs. We know how much you enjoy Lynden, and we hope that you'll help us make that experience widely available to kids throughout southeastern Wisconsin. Tickets are limited, and we did sell out the first two editions of the event....
For those looking for a last-minute activity for their 6-11-year olds, we are offering an extra session of the ever popular Tree House camp, August 11-14 from 9 am to noon. Details and registration here. Adults and teens can join Carey Watters for a paper marbling workshop on August 16, and people of all ages are welcome at Yevgeniya Kaganovich's monthly grow workshop on August 17.
Back in the office, we will be hard at work on the fall schedule. We are beginning to post activities on the web calendar, and hope to have a brochure in a few weeks.
