Friedrich Froebel was an influential German educational theorist who invented the concept of the kindergarten. As explained in Tamar Zinguer's 2015 book Architecture in Play: Imitations of Modernism in Architectural Toys, the "gifts" are a series of toys that allow children to build and experiment with forms, structures, and shapes. Frank Lloyd Wright played with these toys as a child and credited them as an influence on his development as an architect. He believed that they introduce central principles of design. In this workshop, participants of all ages will discover Froebel’s "peas gift," which brings together point and line to make three-dimensional forms. Soft peas or other materials are used as nodes in which toothpicks can be inserted to construct crystal-like structures.
Free with admission. Children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult collaborator. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign-up begins half an hour prior to each workshop.
This workshop is led by Fritz Horstman.
Fritz Horstman is Artist Residency and Education Coordinator at the Albers Foundation. He has developed and presented workshops and lectures for institutions such as the Bauhaus Dessau, Dia:Beacon, The Drawing Center, Princeton University, Bennington College, Yale University, Exploratorium San Francisco, the Ecole des Beaux-Arts Paris, and the Lebanese American University in Beirut, as well as numerous elementary-, middle- and high schools and community centers. He has shown his own art in recent exhibitions in France, Japan, Norway, California, Massachusetts, and Brooklyn.