The Stillwater Public Library and the OSU Museum of Art (OSUMOA) are hosting a free “Masquerade at the Museum” party for teens in grades 6-12 on Friday, Feb. 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Attendees will make carnival or Mardi Gras masks, tour the new art collection at the museum, listen to a live jazz band and enjoy Mardi-Gras-themed snacks. The event will be held at the OSUMOA, located at 720 S. Husband. Registration is requested.
Teens will view the Ralph Steadman collection while creating masks that explore concepts of identity, character development and Steadman’s art-making techniques. The masks will be inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” a classic influence on some of Steadman’s work. An “Alice in Wonderland” backdrop will also be available for teens to take photos with while wearing their mask creations.
OSUMOA educator Brennan Aldridge hopes teens will wear costumes.
“Participants are encouraged to dress up to attend a Mad Hatter Tea Party,” Aldridge said. “In discussing the possibility of hosting a masquerade ball at the museum, we found a perfect thematic match in Steadman’s version of ‘Alice in Wonderland.’”
Jordan Stine, teen librarian at the Stillwater Public Library, also enjoys seeing the connection between the museum and the classic story.
“It’s really cool to be able to bring art and literature together in a fun and festive way,” Stine said. “Plus, we get to celebrate Mardi Gras with live music and have traditional King Cake along with some other snacks courtesy of the Friends of the Library. It’s going to be a blast.”
Both Stine and Aldridge hope that teens who attend this program find something new they can appreciate from visiting the museum.
“The OSU Museum of Art is dedicated to making art accessible to the community, teens included,” Aldridge said. “We want a trip to the museum to be as exciting as it is educational; our goal is to inspire young artists to feel a personal connection to the artwork and create fun masks based on Ralph Steadman’s work.”
“Masquerade at the Museum” is free and open to all teens in Payne County. Teens should register online at stillwaterok.gov/LibraryRegister, or they can stop by the Help Desk or call (405) 372-3633 x8106.