The Mulvane Art Museum joined Washburn University’s Family Weekend on Sept. 27 with an afternoon packed full of creativity, storytelling and community connection. From 1 to 4 p.m., the Mulvane Art Lab’s courtyard and front lawn buzzed with activity as families painted faces, collaged, wove and listened to live poetry.
Local shop Pineapple Dream provided cool treats, while children lined up at the face painting station and proudly carried paper creations across the courtyard. The event gave students, parents and community members a chance to engage with art in hands-on ways.
One of the highlights came from Yale Taylor, member of the Choctaw Nation and registered artist, who guided families through loom weaving inspired by the exhibition “DoPiKa: Reinstate.” For Taylor, the activity was about more than craft, it was about connecting participants to cultural tradition.
“Beading holds a lot of significance. Oftentimes we [the Choctaw Nation] weave stories into our bead work,” Taylor said. “I just hope families take away a new skill in this world where we spend so much time on computers. Here’s something tangible to learn, something that helps hone fine motor skills.”
Taylor also works with Topeka’s Title VI Native American education program and said events like Family Day highlight Indigenous practices while introducing them to new audiences.
At 1:30 p.m., attention shifted to the galleries where Annette Hope Billings, a Topeka poet, actress and performer, shared spoken word pieces in the exhibition “Around the Way Folk.” Her poetry explored themes of identity, resilience and belonging.
“Many of the pieces I shared today were about what it’s like to be a Black woman – an older Black woman — and also looking for yourself in your community, looking for people that look like you or things that remind you of yourself,” Billings said. “The things I read were about self-acceptance, self-love, self-empowerment and the importance of saying no to hate.”
Later in the afternoon, Billings returned for a family-centered storytelling session in the Art Lab. Instead of reading from a book, she invited children to invent the characters and plot themselves. Together, they created a whimsical story about a group called “The Purples.”
“What always amazes me is that children will start off quiet and shy, and then their enthusiasm grows as they realize it’s okay for them to speak from their imagination,” Billings said.
For some, Family Day is now a tradition. Akhadian Harnowo, associate professor in the Brenneman School of Business, attended with his family.
“One of the few times I go to the Mulvane Art Museum is during Family Day like this,” Harnowo said. “I didn’t know they had the Art Lab before, but now my kids always enjoy it. We’ve been attending this for a few years, and they’re already looking forward to the next one.”
For his children, face painting was the favorite, while for the parents, it was the chance to enjoy something creative together.
By blending artmaking with live performance and storytelling, Family Day showed how Mulvane Art Museum functions not only as a gallery but also as a community space where art can be shared across generations.
Edited by Anson Appelhanz and Bidhya Sapkota
