On Roosevelt Island We ... Take First Steps And Grow! Join RI Explorers And RI Parents' Network For Arts & Crafts At June 11 Roosevelt Island Day

The Roosevelt Island Parents' Network and Roosevelt Island Explorers are together hosting a June 11 Arts & Crafts event for Roosevelt Island Day. According to RIPN coordinator Eva Bosbach:

You are invited for a day of Arts & Crafts with Roosevelt Island Explorers and Roosevelt Island Parents’ Network!

When: Roosevelt Island Day - Saturday, June 11, 2016, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Where: Blackwell Park

We are continuing the “On Roosevelt Island We...” initiative by creating multiple art projects where children use their hands and feet –and imagination– to create colorful paintings on canvas.

Among the things children can paint are:

• “On RI We Take First Steps” in which babies and toddlers can print their first steps;
• “On RI WE Grow” in which children of all ages can print their hands and feet in age-ascending order to show how "We Grow";
• “On RI We Grow Gardens” in which children and adults of any age can use their hands and/or feet to paint vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees, etc...

In addition, the RI Explorers will play with the fountain cubes and chalk and, as in previous years, create a yarn web between the trees.

Children are encouraged to participate in all activities - it will be a very lively site!

If you would like to assist children and parents as a volunteer at the event, please let us know – it will be more successful and more fun!

This is a great event for children and the community, and what better date than to have it on Roosevelt Island Day!

We hope to see you there,

Natalia, Neha, Lauren, Eva and Leila

More June 11 Roosevelt Island Day Activities

Image From RIOC

here.

Roosevelt Island Explorers Children And Parents Send Holiday Celebration Messages Around The World

Roosevelt Island Explorers Leila Vujosevic reports:

Last Saturday Roosevelt Island Explorers invited the Island families for a fun holiday event - sending holiday wishes to our loved ones all around the world.

The unusually warm weather helped turn the Blackwell Park lawn into a playground where children and adults

created beautiful holiday messages. The following countries and U.S. States were represented:

France, Italy, Russia, Georgia, Brazil, Australia, Equador, Serbia, China, Ukraine, Belgium, Israel, Turkey, and Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, New York…

In addition to variety of holiday messages, a wish for PEACE

was included because "some people still have guns in the world"…

Something to think about: although children mentioned countries they come from, what mattered most was being with friends regardless of where they come from. Multiculturalism seems to be a grownups' construct.

We look forward to continue our Island explorations next year…

Happy Holidays!

Roosevelt Island Explorers Facebook Page is here.

You're Invited To Roosevelt Island Explorers Holiday Celebration Saturday December 12 At Blackwell Park Lawn - Create Holiday Bundles To Send Across The World

Roosevelt Island Explorers Leila Vujosevic reports:

Many of us will not spend Holidays with our loved ones as they may live in faraway places all around the world.

To connect with them and to reinforce our own sense of togetherness, we are inviting you for a fun and meaningful community event:

When: Saturday, December 12, 2015

noon - 3pm

Where: Blackwell Park Lawn

(always a great inspiration for our gatherings)

We shall:

1. Create variety of holiday bundles and "send them off" to our loved ones NEAR and FAR (attach them on strings spread across the lawn).

2. Share stories about our families abroad.

3. Create a gigantic GLOBE (as big as our coffe/soup cup lids can accommodate) - we need your help to identify all countries our community members are coming from.

4. Send the well wishes to the WORLD - what would make the Earth a better place.

5. And anything else your imagination takes you to…

More than anything, we shall gather to spread the joy of the Holiday Season!

We are providing all materials, cookies, and drinks, but would welcome anything else you may bring to make this event more joyful.

We hope you will join us.

Best,

The RiEx Team

Roosevelt Island Explorers Facebook Page is here.

Roosevelt Island Explorers Kids And Parents Celebrate Fall For Arts Festival By Creating Cardboard Cars, F Train, Tram, Airplane, Coach & More

Roosevelt Island Explorers (RiEX) Leila Vujosevic shares these photos and reports on the Roosevelt Island 2015 Fall For Arts Festival held Saturday October 10:

Many Island families came to Blackwell Park on a perfect fall day to take part in the annual Fall for Art Festival organized by RIOC and RIVAA.

This year’s theme was: Roosevelt Island: Celebrating Our History and Our Future.

Roosevelt Island Explorers invited families for an engaging, creative and fun workshop – creating vehicles that take us to, from and around the Island, including new inventions.

Materials: cardboard boxes, tubes, cake circles and tape.

It did not take long before imaginative creations filled the Blackwell Park lawn:

 cars in variety of shapes,

sizes

 and colors,

 dozens of trams suspended from a rope,

a coach,
 

 F train,
 

even an airplane

 and a helicopter.

Everybody had a great time - children and their parents.

This was another demonstration of the rich possibilities our beautiful Island offers to its residents – Roosevelt Island Explorers will continue to engage families in similar activities spreading the joy of being together.

More on Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival from previous post.

More on Roosevelt Island Explorers at their Facebook Page.

You're Invited To Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival Saturday October 10 - Family Friendly Showcase Of Painting, Make Your Own Art, Music, Cardboard Vehicles & More

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) reports:

Join us this Saturday, October 10th for a free, family-friendly day of art & music at the 2015 Fall for Arts Festival, 11 AM to 4 PM. Bring your family and friends for an amazing, fun filled day of an artistic showcase of painting, free make-and-take art workshops and live music of talented New York City based Jazz musicians. The event will take place on the Lawn South of Rivercross (south of 505 Main Street), Gallery RIVAA (527 Main Street), Blackwell Park & Plaza and the Meditation Steps.

This is a rain or shine event.

This event is presented by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation in partnership with Gallery RIVAA and the R.I. Explorers.

Event schedule can be found here: http://rioc.ny.gov/pdf/FFA2015.pdf

Image From RIOC

The Roosevelt Island Explorers report:

We have another large-scale project for the Fall for Arts this Saturday – building vehicles that take us to/from/around RI today, and will try to invent some new ones for the future (the festivals theme is – celebration of RI history & future)…

All that from cardboard boxes (if you remember, we had built the Renaissance City last year)

Here's the cardboard box Roosevelt Island Explorers Renaissance City from 2014 Fall For Arts Festival at Southpoint Park.



The Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) is seeking volunteers to help out at the Fall For Arts Festival.

The 2015 Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival was postponed from last Saturday to October 10 due to rain.

More scenes from 2014 Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival.

Roosevelt Island 2015 Fall For Arts Festival Saturday October 3 - Showcase Of Painting, Make Your Own Art, Music & More, Takes Place Rain Or Shine Says RIOC

Image From RIOC

The 2015 Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival takes places this Saturday October 3. According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Join us next Saturday, October 3rd for a free, family-friendly day of art & music at the 2015 Fall for Arts Festival, 11 AM to 4 PM. Bring your family and friends for an amazing, fun filled day of an artistic showcase of painting, free make-and-take art workshops and live music of talented New York City based Jazz musicians. The event will take place on the Lawn South of Rivercross (south of 505 Main Street), Gallery RIVAA (527 Main Street), Blackwell Park & Plaza and the Meditation Steps.

This is a rain or shine event. In the event of rain, the jazz concert will take place at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street) at 7:30 PM.

This event is presented by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation in partnership with Gallery RIVAA and the R.I. Explorers Group.

Visit rioc.ny.gov for more information.

The weather forecast for Saturday is:

The Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival is a great community event. Let's hope the rain stays away.

Here are some scenes from 2014 Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival. It rained in the morning last year but was still alot of fun.

UPDATE 5:10 PM- According to RIOC, Fall For Arts has been postponed due to the expected storm.

Will update with more info later.

UPDATE 10/2 - According to RIOC:

Due to the incoming inclement weather, we will be postponing the Fall for Arts Festival to Saturday, October 10th, 11 AM - 4 PM. Updated schedule information to follow.

UPDATE 10/9 - Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival will take place Saturday October 10.

Roosevelt Island Explorers Awaken Silent Concrete Mini Men Between Coler Hospital And Lighthouse Park - What Hidden Roosevelt Island Gem Will They Transform Next?

Roosevelt Island Explorers (RiEX) Leila Vujosevic reports:

Mini-Men REINVENTED at Roosevelt Island North

Images From Roosevelt Island Explorers

Roosevelt Island Explorers continue rediscovery of Roosevelt Island’s somewhat ignored spots, demonstrating endless possibilities for meaningful, creative, and fun engagement with our neighbors and the Island’s unique environment. We met on Sunday, July 26,  at the North tip to “awake” the silent concrete posts, which separate the hospital grounds from the park.

Images From Roosevelt Island Explorers

Following this bonding experience, we agreed this was more than just FUN – the little concrete mini-men sprang to life filling this Island spot with energy and excitement. A brief shower only added more drama.

Not really knowing what would become of our project, we witnessed the place transformation

Images From Roosevelt Island Explorers

before our eyes and kept on going, drawing inspiration from each other – children and adults – no boundaries…

Images From Roosevelt Island Explorers

We thoroughly enjoyed it and left assured that our Island “hides” multiple other spots to be discovered – what a beautiful place we live in!

Images From Roosevelt Island Explorers

We share with you few photos –please visit our FB page for more…

New event announcements to follow soon…

RiEx Team

More information on the Roosevelt Island Explorers at their Facebook Page and web site.

Roosevelt Island Explorers Invite Families To Use Imagination And Transform Lighthouse Park Lifeless Concrete Mini - Men Sunday July 26

The Roosevelt Island Explorers (RiEx):

... is a group of experienced educators and professors exploring the possibilities for a new and different early childhood program on Roosevelt Island. This proposed program would:

• Express our profound respect of children as competent, capable learners
• Address our concerns about the harmful effects of arbitrary standards and prescribed curricula
• Engage the full participation of families, caregivers, teachers and other interested adults
• Embrace the unique environment and beauty of Roosevelt Island
• Honor our love for the vibrant and diverse Roosevelt Island community

RiEx report:

Dear Families:

To continue exploration of our beautiful Island, we are taking you to the Northern tip:

Please join us for a creative and fun transformation of lifeless concrete “mini-men” into anything your imagination produces (if only for one day):

Date: Sunday, July 26, 2015

Time: 4pm – 7pm

Place: North of Coler-Goldwater Hospital’s Main Entrance—next to the River (please see the attached poster)

We will provide the materials, water and light snacks…

However, we encourage you to also bring your own – it will make our experience more meaningful, bonding, and fun…

Best,

RiEx Team

More on Roosevelt Island Explorers from their web site, Facebook page and previous posts.

Scenes From Roosevelt Island 2014 Fall For Arts Festival - Daffodil Project Planting, Mural Painting, Castle Building, Pumpkin Carving, Hands Only CPR Training, Music, Dance, Food & More

Despite the morning cold and rain, Saturday's Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival was a fun time for all who participated.

Here are some scenes beginning with the iDig2Learn Daffodil planting

project in the rain at the Motorgate Atrium,



mural painters not letting the rain stop them,

and indoor crafts at Gallery RIVAA.

After the rain stopped during the afternoon, the Roosevelt Island Explorers built castles

 using cardboard boxes,



By The Mummers entertained

with song and dance,



delicious food from Daisy May's BBQ,

Hands only CPR training from Lynn Strong-Shinozaki,

We trained 50 people in #CPRHandsOnly yesterday so proud @Rooseveltisland @MainStreetWIRE @RobinVitale @foundersheart @RIOCny #YOUROCK
— Lynne Shinozaki (@LASHINOZAKI) October 12, 2014

a clown,

juggler,

Island Kids pumpkin carving,

crafts with the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery,

tips from Bike New York,

Kite flying at FDR Four Freedoms Park

Great to be part of #RooseveltIsland Fall Arts Festival today! Overcast weather but kites filled the sky with color. pic.twitter.com/rRXM7tqSKo
— Four Freedoms Park (@4FreedomsPark) October 11, 2014

and Chinese Qin performance & storytelling at Gallery RIVAA.



Good job by RIOC and all the other Roosevelt Island organizations putting together the Fall For Arts Festival this year and not letting Saturday's bad weather spoil the fun.

UPDATE 10/13 - Roosevelt Island resident George Khelashvili attended the Fall For Arts Festival with his family and shares video below adding:

This video features Colombian professional band "Folklore Urbano" who performed brilliantly at the Fall Festival Event. This band is becoming well known to the island community since they have been offering after school programs at P.S./I.S.217 where they teach kids Colombian culture (songs, dances, playing native instruments) on a very high level. In fact, our 5-year old daughter, Mariam (who is featured in the shared video) attended the program last semester and she, along with all the kids that participated, is absolutely in love with the band.