See the WTNH news special feature with our Education Department’s very own Kristen Thornton being interviewed and our staff putting their installation up as well.
For many, the month of October is filled with seasonal thoughts of the upcoming holidays, the anticipation of colorful foliage and the comfort and joy of wrapping up in your favorite cozy sweater. Make sure you add one more to the list: The Wee Faeirie Village at the Florence Griswold Museum is currently celebrating it’s 10th annual outdoor exhibit! It is truly a remarkable sight as you marvel in the creativity, detail and craftsmanship as you explore over thirty hand-crafted displays, nestled among the Museum’s 13-acre historic site. The theme of this year is “Lettersburg Junction” which celebrates the alphabet in a wee faerie fun and imaginative way. 26 Letters, 5 Punctuations, and 1 to infinity Numbers!
Mystic Museum of Art, in partnership with Nathan Hale School in New London, created one of the installations currently on display. MMoA faculty (Mary Addison, Lisa Adams, Kristen Thornton, and Liz Lomax) worked with 4th grade students and teachers to create a sculpture relating to the letter “I”. Their challenge was to design individual spaces which would then be assembled to reflect a populated urban environment. Together a list of “I” words was formulated and thus was born The Incredible Insect Institute!
Intrepid twin sister inventors, Iris and Ivy had an idea for an intensely innovative institute where the increasing numbers of insects (and their faerie friends) could live in harmony. They imagined an indigo and ivory tower including ideal spaces for ice cream gatherings, imperial spas, and individual living spaces. It was important to include materials indigenous to the forest. Their intricate interlocking interiors made them inevitably infamous.
