DIA - Chinese New Year

Today, I took the girls to the DIA for fun, and for a special Chinese New Year celebration.

Lion dance!

We were so close - first row!  Jessi has pigtails, and Katie has a french braid.  The lion came within inches of them several times!

Lion dance

Jessi tried out the Chinese drums used in the performance

Then Katie got a turn.

They got to touch the lion costume and look at it up close.  Amazing!

 

Megan tried one of the gongs

Girls by "Artie" the donkey - the only work of art in the DIA that you're allowed to touch.  Katie's friend came along with us, she was sooo nice and fit right in.  The girls are trying to feed Artie some parsley left over from the Lion Dance.  (the lion chased a guy around for parsley, ate it, and spit out the leftovers!)

After a snack in the cafe, we went to the classroom to do the project d'jour - making masks!  The girls had a blast customizing their masks.  It looks more like Mardi Gras than Chinese New Year, though!

We wandered around til the museum closed at 5pm, seeing as many galleries as possible.  Katie's friend had never been to the DIA, so the girls were thrilled to show off their knowledge and their favorite rooms and works of art to her...Rivera murals, impressionist paintings (lots of dots!), Picasso and Van Gogh, spiral staircase, virtual dinner, and every "Eye Spy" game we could find in the museum!  It was a super fun day!  (except poor Chris stayed home sick)