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PHOTO: Kacie Gerow and her daughter Roslyn check out their luminary kit. (Tony Gerow photo)
WATERVILLE — The Winter Solstice Luminary Project will expand and amplify the Art Kits for All program across Waterville by providing luminary kits to approximately 1,600 students enrolled in the Waterville public schools.
Waterville Creates, in collaboration with community partners, including the Colby College Museum of Art, Kennebec Montessori School, Waterville School District, Family Violence Project, Waterville Parent Teacher Association, Northern Stars Planetarium and the Children’s Discovery Museum will distribute kits to area schools on Thursday, Dec. 17. The free kits will include materials for two luminaries per kit, along with battery operated candles. Students and their families are encouraged to place the crafted luminaries at their homes and businesses throughout the city between 4 and 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, to collectively celebrate the winter solstice.
“This project is designed to create a shared joyful experience while we practice social distancing and continue to navigate the challenges of the pandemic,” said Serena Sanborn, education and outreach coordinator for Waterville Creates. “It’s also a creative and collaborative way to illuminate our city during the solstice.”
The Winter Solstice Luminary Project is part of the Art Kits for All program, which was launched in May in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is a collaborative program designed to keep families engaged and connected to the arts. By providing free art supplies and instructions, the program offers high-quality accessible art experiences. T
o date, more than 1,600 art kits have been distributed to hundreds of area families The luminary project is the largest single distribution that the Art Kit team has undertaken.
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year and occurs each December in the Northern Hemisphere. The solstice event occurs as a direct result of the Earth’s tilt and relative position to the sun. In many cultures throughout the world, people have holidays and festivities that involve lights to celebrate the Solstice. Creating luminaries around the solstice is a tradition that dates back thousands of years.
For more instructions on creating the luminary, visit the Waterville Creates You Tube channel.
