Local Color; Spring’s answer to Autumn’s Illumination. Saturday, April 29, Downtown Ipswich & Riverwalk
2-5 p.m. Family Friendly Events & Activities
Mandala coloring station and art gallery featuring masterpieces by Ipswich elementary students. Cast your vote for Viewer’s Choice and free raffle for water color by local artist Kathy Gallant. Windhill Realty - 16 Market Street
FANtastic SpinArt: Add paint to a spinning fan motor with the blades removed to create a colorful and unique design on a paper plate.
ColorForms: People can create their own magnetic design for display on the Ipswich ReCreation trailer, a concept that imitates the vinyl, re-stickable playset made famous in the 1950s.
Three Ring SpiroGraph Circus: Produce a series of geometric shapes that combine to form a creative design. Once the Spirograph is made, it will be turned in to a button for people to wear for the day.
LightBright - In the spirit of the classic game of the same name, patrons will create their own peg art on an oversized board which will be backlit to reveal their design.
Paper Chain: Make paper chain links in one long continuous community paper chain. The world record for longest paper chain is 15 miles, so while Ipswich might not get there, Bates feels it is a lofty goal to set.
Jackson Pollock Public Painting Party: Pollack, a famous abstract painter from the 1940s and 1950s, became fascinated with the paint residue on his drop cloth, in essence the unintentional painting created while painting. A giant drop cloth will be set up on the River Walk so the community can create its own Pollack splatter painting by splashing whatever color they choose anywhere, anyhow on the surface.
Name of the Game is Color Mixing: Combine different paints to create a unique color. People will name their color, and Tedford’s will have a contest to see which color is purchased the most over the coming year
Ipswich Soda Pop Taste Testing: Kids can try all the wonderfully pigmented soft drinks created by the Ipswich Brewing Company and vote for their favorite.
Flower the Footbridge: a giant rainbow balloon arch created by Ipswich Flowers will welcome people to the River Walk.
The following events are, all within walking distance of the River Walk:
Mandala coloring station and art gallery: featuring masterpieces by Ipswich elementary students. Cast your vote for Viewer’s Choice and free raffle for water color by local artist Kathy Gallant. Windhill Realty - 16 Market Street
High Spirits & Robin Eggs: 12 dozen plastic blue robin eggs will be scattered around the statue “High Spirits” located on the North Green. Each egg will be filled with a scroll of poetry and small bag of wildflower seeds. People are encouraged to toss the seeds into local fields so that when the flowers bloom, bursts of color will pop up throughout town.
Dow Arts Block Printing: Create a block printing project in the style of Arthur Wesley Dow at the Zodiac Paint Store. Dow was an influential painter who owned an art school in late 19th century Ipswich and influenced such talents as Georgia O’Keefe.
Color Me Beautiful: Betsy Frost Design provides face painting for the kids and offers a discount on all of her most colorful items in the store. In addition, Green Elephant Toys is having a sale on kites to bring to Sunday’s color blast at Crane’s Beach.
Pop Culture at Nostos Boutique: Superhero-themed coloring pages for the kids and make-you-own comic book for the adults.
Mid-Century Color: Lauren XXX, owner of Be Modern, is giving an informal lecture about the unique color styles of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Her showroom has been rearranged to demonstrate the styles of each decade.
Ipswich Train Exhibit: “The Railroad in Ipswich” train display will be in its final weekend. The model is a scaled replica of the train and tracks that brought people and industry to Ipswich in 1914, and the exhibit features pictures and information about the railroad and the town in that time.
The following are performances that will take place on and around the River Walk on Saturday:
Crane Beach Color Blast Sunday, April 30 from 1-3 p.m.
The Om Drum Circle will provide the rhythm for the day.
Beach Bonfire, bring and fly a kites, blow bubbles, hoola hoops