What: “Crafting the Past,” Therapist-Led Art and Music Program, to Launch at Museum of Work & Culture
When: Saturday, April 29, 10am and 11am
Where: The Museum of Work & Culture (42 S. Main St., Woonsocket)
Admission: FREE
Museum of Work & Culture Announces Expansion of SensAbilities Program
Free Therapist-Led Activities Highlight “Crafting the Past” Learning Opportunities
(WOONSOCKET, R.I.) – The Museum of Work & Culture has announced an expansion of its SensAbilities Saturdays series for individuals on the autism spectrum and others facing sensory challenges.
Crafting the Past will provide families free access to therapist-led art and music activities designed to help children and teens with sensory sensitivities engage creatively with the MoWC’s themes.
“It is critical to provide families with learning opportunities that grow and mature with their children,” says Museum of Work & Culture Director Anne Conway. “We see Crafting the Past as the next natural step for families ready to transition from programs offered at children’s museums.”
The first program will be offered on Saturday, April 29, at 10am and 11am. Art therapists will lead a “Graffiti in Watercolor” activity aimed at helping participants learn more about Rhode Island’s history while exercising spatial awareness and fine motor skills.
Classes are 45 minutes in duration and led by two licensed art therapists. Each session is open to up to 10 participants, and registration is required. Families can register at ShopMoWC.com.
These events are free and made possible with the generous support of CVS Health Charity Classic.
Crafting the Past is a part of the MoWC’s SensAbilities program. Additional offerings include SensAbilities Saturdays, when the MoWC opens an hour early on the second Saturday of each month for families seeking a less crowded environment in which to enjoy features and exhibits. The MoWC also offers tools to help parents and caretakers prepare for their visit. A social story has been created as a step-by-step illustrated guide to help those on the autism spectrum navigate exhibits. Additionally, the MoWC provides checklists and “first-then” boards to better control time and sequence. These materials are available in the MoWC and on the Rhode Island Historical Society’s website.
SensAbilities Saturdays was selected by Rhode Island Monthly as the “Best of RI Editors’ Pick: Special Outreach Program” in their August 2016 issue.
About the Museum of Work & Culture
The interactive and educational Museum of Work & Culture shares the stories of the men, women, and children who came to find a better life in Rhode Island’s mill towns in the late 19th- and 20th centuries. It recently received a Rhode Island Monthly Best of Rhode Island Award for its SensAbilities Saturdays all-ability program.
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
Founded in 1822, the RIHS is the fourth-oldest historical society in the United States and is Rhode Island’s largest and oldest historical organization, as well as its only Smithsonian Affiliate. In Providence, the RIHS owns and operates the John Brown House Museum, a designated National Historic Landmark, built in 1788; the Aldrich House, built in 1822 and used for administration and public programs; and the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center, where archival, book and image collections are housed. In Woonsocket, the RIHS manages the Museum of Work and Culture, a community museum examining the industrial history of northern Rhode Island and of the workers and settlers, especially French-Canadians, who made it one of the state’s most distinctive areas.