The Pulitzer and the Contemporary combined brainpower, manpower, and creative juices to produce a fun-filled craft booth at the Earthways Green Homes Festival on Saturday, September 27. The trick was to come up with crafts that fit Earthways’ theme of recyclable materials but also aligned with the Pulitzer light project concept. All in all, a great success!

Fabulous Craft #1 was a crayon muffin. Mmm! Kids chose old bits of crayon and put them in a muffin tin. Then we melted the old crayons in a solar-powered oven, let the soupy crayons harden, and voila! Kids had new muffin-shaped crayon to take home with them! Kids also decorated planters made out of recycled cans and then planted a seeds inside. For the last project, kids constructed lanterns from recycled cardboard containers that came with a light cord set-up and bulb. Children of all ages thoroughly enjoyed our projects, and hopefully learned a little more about recycling in the process. Thanks to Earthways for inviting us to be a part of the Green Homes Festival!

Photos and blog by Claire Wolff, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University

Last Friday, October 3, students from Metro High School, Cardinal Ritter Academy, Loyola Academy, and Cole Elementary got together to to perform in the Pulitzer’s courtyard and for the official opening of their collaborative installation in front of Powell Symphony Hall.

Before walking to the Pulitzer, the students from the four schools met in the Cardinal Ritter cafeteria for sandwiches and socializing.

Cardinal Ritter’s installation glowed.

After dinner, the students walked to the Pulitzer and gathered in the courtyard in front of Richard Serra’s Joe.

The young artists/musicians set their drum-guitars off to the side.

Before the show, perussionist Craig Woodson helped a student fix her drum.

While waiting for the elementary students to perform, high schoolers gathered next to the wall of the Contemporary Art Museum to wait and practice making music.

In between performances, representatives from Powell Symphony Hall taught people about a few different musical instruments.

There were around 1,200 visitors at the Pulitzer that evening.

Once the sun began to set, it was time for the elementary students to perform.

After the show, some of the kids couldn’t stop moving and put on an improvised dance show.

Metro High School and Cardinal Ritter students showed that they really know how to make some noise.

That evening, there was also a trolley that went around to all the school installations and well as the public display in front of Powell Symphony Hall.

Kids took a good look at Metro High School’s artwork.

A view of the public piece from the trolley:

A few days before the Community Light Project opening on October 3, Loyola Academy students were wrapping up their school installation, which is now glowing in their library window.

The students finished coloring on pieces of cut Plexiglas.

Jordan and Garland described what they had been doing.

Melba described what the installation was to look like.

The first piece was hung in the window.