Originally published on 22 September 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Who, as a young child growing up, hadn’t enjoyed reading the adventures of the mischievous Peter Rabbit and his sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail? Kids everywhere recognize this long-eared mammal, in the blue jacket with brass buttons, being chased by the ornery Mr. McGregor. He is one of the many delightful animal characters created by Beatrix Potter.

To commemorate the sesquicentennial birth anniversary of Beatrix Potter, The Huntington held a series of preschool workshops this month through the institution’s Youth and Family Programs.

Through four two-hour morning sessions, artist and educator, Paisley Callow, led a group of three- to five-year-olds around The Huntington gardens and immersed them in the make-believe world of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and friends.

Callow, herself an avid collector of Beatrix Potter memorabilia, says she pitched a few workshop ideas for preschoolers. She relates, “Every year growing up, my grandparents gave me a Beatrix Potter figurine for my birthdays and at Christmas. So when The Huntington asked me to do this theme class, I was excited to be able to integrate my collection in the lessons.

“We did scavenger hunts in the gardens, where children and their parents weaved around the various plants at The Huntington. We read ‘The Pie and the Patty Pan’, and created our own mixed media pies. Because three-year-olds are learning their letter sounds, we crowned a pre-school ‘Prince or Princess of P’, who would hold up the letter P every time we said a P word, like ‘pie’, in our Potter’s Porcelain Animal Art class.

The Chinese Garden at The Huntington | Photo by Brianna Chu

“In one session we checked out the porcelain tea cups in The Huntington’s European Gallery; fashioned our own cups; and had a tea party for Beatrix Potter’s 150^th birthday in the Rose Garden. Our potter class took us to story time in the lily pond where we read Jeremy Fischer, a frog who fishes on a lily pad. Using simple mold making, we crafted our own Lilies and Fish,” Callow expounds.

A graduate of UCLA’s School of Arts and Architecture, Callow also held one Saturday class on a temporary Huntington exhibition, Ishimoto Architects. Seven- to 12-year-olds and their parents viewed the works of California architects, Charles and Henry Greene, who were inspired by Japanese structures. Photographer, Yasuhiro Ishimoto, took a series of black and white photos of Greene & Greene houses, which are on display through October 3, 2016 at the Susan and Stephen Chandler Wing of the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art. The kids then designed their own architecture during the three-hour hands-on workshop.

Having lived in Asia, North America, and the Middle East with her diplomat parents during her childhood years, Callow shares her knowledge about world culture and arts with the children she teaches. In November, she will offer a Mini International Architects class for preschoolers and their parents. She explains, “In this class, the kids will look at exhibits and gardens as they relate to architecture around the globe. They will build Saudi Arabian castles, Iceland ice hotels using popsicle paint, and western skyscraper with recyclables. They will learn the letters I and C when they study two Greek columns – Ionian and Corinthian.  I incorporate literacy, math and science in my preschool art classes.”                       

“As a certified Montessori educator, I know that children learn best by creating something they make themselves, especially at preschool age. They’ll never forget their cool colors when they’re painting snow with their cold blue popsicle paint,” Callow concludes.

The European Gallery | Photo taken from The Huntington’s website

The preschool classes are an ongoing program at The Huntington. According to Julianne Johnston, senior coordinator, Youth and Family Programs and Community Engagement, “Over the past ten years, we have offered at least one in the spring and another in the fall. The Preschool Series offers an introduction to museum education programs through The Huntington’s collections.”

Johnston states further, “ Because it is usually children’s first experiences at The Huntington, each series is designed to include stories, a visit to a garden or gallery, and a hands-on activity to reinforce the theme or lesson. Each day in the series is centered on early education and discovery-based learning to develop both their motor skills and a love and appreciation for learning in a museum setting.”

“The public program is planned and designed anywhere from three months to a year in advance,” Johnston adds. “We try to take advantage of our many temporary exhibitions (such as Van Gogh and Friends, or The National Parks), as well as highlight our permanent collections – whether they are Library, Art, or Gardens. We collaborate with content specialists within our division and curators throughout our institution to ensure accurate interpretation of the different areas of discipline. We also work with contracted experts and professional informal instructors to lead these workshops and programs.”                     

Popular themes and literary favorites, like Beatrix Potter, are occasionally repeated as workshop classes. And this year, in celebration of the beloved author’s 150^th birth anniversary, Dale Schafer from the Beatrix Potter Society attended the workshop’s last session for the fun activities and stories. Peter Rabbit and his friends would have enjoyed that too.