Art Cart Says Summer Fun for Kids
MADISON, WI – The popular Art Cart van hits the streets of Madison and surrounding communities again this summer for ten weeks of outdoor teacher-led art adventures. Two programs, Art Cart and Art Cart EXTRA!, offer free art-making experiences to kids and their families.
Continuing a tradition of more than 30 years, the Art Cart program brings portable art projects and a join-in-the-fun spirit to Madison parks, playgrounds, community centers, and beaches on weekdays. This year’s schedule consists of more than 90 stops throughout the city, including evening programs at half of the locations. Art Cart is organized by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) and Madison School & Community Recreation.
Art Cart EXTRA! takes the van to eleven surrounding communities on Saturdays. Now in its ninth year, Art Cart EXTRA! travels to Black Earth, Cross Plains, DeForest, Fitchburg, Lake Mills, Mount Horeb, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Verona, and Waunakee. Two sites are visited each Saturday during the six-week program. Art Cart EXTRA! is a project of MMoCA.
Both programs are appropriate for kids 6 to 11 years old; children age 5 and under are welcome, but must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
Art Cart runs June 21 through August 23. Activity hours are from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (morning sessions); 1:30 to 4:30 pm (afternoon sessions); and 5:30 to 8 pm (evening sessions), weather permitting. Art Cart EXTRA! begins Saturday, June 23 and runs through July 28. Activity hours for Art Cart EXTRA! are 10:00 am to noon and 2 to 4 pm (except for a July 7 session at Lake Mills, which will run from 2:30 to 4:30 pm).
Advance registration for individuals is not required; groups of eight or more are asked to call the museum at 608.257.0158 at least two days in advance to ensure adequate supplies. Participants should “dress for a mess” in comfortable play clothes.
A schedule and map for both programs may be downloaded at www.mmoca.org.
Generous support for Art Cart and Art Cart EXTRA! has been provided by TDS Telecom; The Great Dane Pub & Brewery Company; Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission with additional funds from The Evjue Foundation, the Overture Foundation, and the American Girl Fund for Children; The Capital Times Kids Fund; and the Wisconsin State Journal Youth Services.