If you’re planning your vacation and you’re looking for something for the family and kids to do how about checking out some of the new art and theater programs being offered by the Yosemite Conservancy?
“Art and theater programs create memories of Yosemite that will last a lifetime by connecting children, young people and adults to the park, providing experiences that will inspire future stewardship,” said Mike Tollefson, president, Yosemite Conservancy.
The theater roster at the Valley Visitors Center includes seven shows that are sure to entertain and inspire audiences. Among this year’s new performances is Yosemite Night’s Dream, which takes children on a whimsical park adventure to explore the magic of Yosemite. Also new is a program featuring Yosemite Search & Rescue Ranger John Dill who shares thrilling rescue stories from the park’s emergency response teams with photography from actual Yosemite rescue operations. Two of the park’s most popular shows bring historic figures to life with portrayals of John Muir by Lee Stetson and a Buffalo Soldier by Shelton Johnson.
“Yosemite Conservancy art and theater programs improve the visitor experience in ways that make a visit to the park as memorable as its scenery,” said Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher.
Nine new artists are leading Yosemite Art Center workshops. Participants engage in a variety of mediums, from classic watercolor to silk painting and more. “Through art we slow down, focus and see our environment in more detail and with better understanding,” said Barbara Rosenthal, one of more than 30 professional artists leading workshops in Yosemite this summer. “The better we know something, the more we value it. Draw Yosemite and it will be yours.”
Yosemite Art Center programs are offered through the end of October and include one four hour art workshop per day, Tuesday-Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. A $10 donation per workshop is suggested. Yosemite Theater performances are offered each evening, times vary. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children under 13 and are available at the Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore at the Yosemite Valley Visitors Center and at Tour & Activity Desks. Additional information is available at www.yosemiteconservancy.org.
(via NPS)