On Saturday, Aug. 26, community members joined together at Carnegie Hall to create art for a good cause. Students between the ages of 10 and 80 attended the free needle felting workshop taught by Teaching Artist Karen Leland. Attendees were there to make felted wool ornaments to be auctioned off at Carnegie Hall’s Fantasy Gala to provide scholarships for under privileged youth to attend Kids’ College, Carnegie Hall’s two-week summers arts program.
Education Director Harmony Flora explained that the idea for the donations came from this year’s Kids’ College campers. “They came up with the idea totally on their own, as a Pay-it-Forward kind of idea,” explains Flora. “When it became known that we host about 25% of our summer camp kids on full or partial scholarships, the students decided that they would spend part of their class time making felted ornaments to give to the Hall so we could auction them off, allowing more kids to come for free next year. It’s a beautiful concept, and I’m really proud of them for giving back to our community, and for wanting to help out other kids.”
The finished ornaments were assembled into two separate grapevine wreaths that will be part of the silent auction at Carnegie Hall’s Fantasy Gala being held this Friday, September 1st at The Greenbrier Resort.
