Special to The Leader

 

This Fall, join us as we explore opportunities for fun and education at Stark Cultural Venues. Adult workshops about health and wellness will be introduced at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Second Saturday Specialty Tours at The W.H. Stark House are growing and evolving. Meet and greet local critters at Shangri La Gardens during the Up Close with Nature Program. Let your creativity flow at the Stark Museum of Art Playdate and CREATE! Workshop! Educational opportunities are abundant throughout Stark Cultural Venues this fall, and fun is on tap for family and friends of all ages.

 

Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center:

 

Adult Workshops at Shangri La Gardens are presented on Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Cost of each program is $15.00 per person. Please make your reservation by calling 409.670.0803 for the first adult workshop. Details coming soon for more adult workshop opportunities.

 

September 17, 2016 – Walk with a Doc, In Collaboration with Neighbors Emergency Center

Dr. Lylieth Mitchell, Medical Director of Neighbors Emergency Center in Orange, will walk through the gardens. Before, during, and after the walk, she will share information about target heart rate, considerations for a regular exercise plan, and more. After the walk, participate in a basic health screening to check blood pressure and vital signs. During this program, we will walk approximately two miles on a flat surface.

 

Up Close with Nature: Live Animal Programs are presented the last Saturday of each month at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Meet at the admissions window, and come and go as you please. Included with general admission. Stark Cultural Members are free.

 

September 24, October 29, and November 26, 2016 – Up Close with Nature

Join us as Wildlife Curator, Robert Morgan features one or more live animals that call Shangri La Gardens home. During this exciting and informative program, meet local critters, learn about their adaptations, what they eat, and what might eat them.

 

The W.H. Stark House:

 

Second Saturday Specialty Tours are presented at The W.H. Stark House with tours offered at10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Included with general admission. Stark Cultural Members are free.

 

September 10, October 8, and November 12, 2016 – Second Saturday Specialty Tour

Come and enjoy this opportunity to study history and the historical role of the Stark and Lutcher families with a  unique specialty tour. Staff will lead visitors through the house, and provide additional information not available on the standard tour. The exhibition features rarely displayed objects from the Stark House collection and historic photographs and documents.

 

Stark Museum of Art:

 

SMA Playdate: Icky Sticky Glue will be at the Stark Museum of Art from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Based on the book: Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre.

 

October 14, 2016 – SMA Playdate: Icky Sticky Glue

A little dot will do a lot! Let’s stick together and discover how artists make their own materials, including glue! Stick close as we see the many uses of glue in the Museum and then make glue to use in the studio. This playdate features gallery play, interactive looking experience, and an art studio visit designed to connect children 5 and under with their grown-ups.

 

CREATE! Workshop: If you Build It…is presented at the Stark Museum of Art and will begin at10:30 a.m. and last approximately two hours. Material fee is $5.oo.

 

October 22, 2016 – CREATE! Workshop: If you Build It…

Partake in a brief thirty minute museum experience and then discuss and interpret a work of art. Hand-build a beautiful clay tray or plate. Works will be fired in a kiln off-site after being clear glazed. Participants can pick up their works of art in time to be used for holiday festivities!

 

For more information, visit, Starkculturalvenues.org

Shangri La encompasses 250+ acres in the heart of Orange, Texas, along the swamps and wetlands associated with Adams Bayou. Shangri La integrates its botanical gardens and nature center together to create a unique understanding of the natural world in Southeast Texas. Imagine a place where you can stroll along garden paths surrounded by a profusion of flowers, watch birds for hours from the comfort of a Heronry Blind or just spend time relaxing with friends and family. Or, you can explore your wild side and take a naturalist-led excursion along Adams Bayou to discover the wonders of nature, encounter wildlife in their natural habitats, and gain new insights into the importance of preserving the environment. No matter what motivates you to come outdoors, explore Shangri La-it’s a year round delight for the senses.

 

Shangri La is located at 2111 W. Park Avenue in Orange, Texas, and is open Tuesday -Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit shangrilagardens.org.

 

The Stark Museum of Art houses one of the nation’s most significant collections of American Western art and is located in the heart of downtown historic Orange, Texas. Paintings, sculpture, prints and rare books interpret the West from 19th century frontier artists to the 20th century artistic colonies in New Mexico and focus on the stunning land, dramatic people and diverse wildlife of the American West. The Museum features artists such as Frederic Remington, John James Audubon, John Mix Stanley, and Charles Marion Russell. Also featured is a significant collection of American Indian objects, including baskets, pottery, clothing and jewelry.

 

Stark Museum of Art is located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, and is open
Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit starkmuseum.org.

 

The W.H. Stark House Tour is walking through a 14,000 square foot, three-story home that stands much as it did at the turn of the 20th century, with fifteen rooms of original family furnishings, personal effects and decorative arts, including antique rugs, original textiles, silver, cut glass, and antique porcelain. Built in 1894, The W.H. Stark House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission. All tours start at the Carriage House at 610 W. Main Avenue (just behind The W.H. Stark House) and parking is available in the Lutcher Theater parking lot. Stairs are an essential part of the tour. Admission is limited to individuals 6 years and older. This tour takes approximately 45 minutes. Group Tours are $5 per person at The W.H. Stark House.

 

The W.H. Stark House is located at 610 West Main Avenue in Orange, Texas, and is openTuesday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tours begin in the adjacent Carriage House and parking is available in the Lutcher Theater parking lot. For more information, visit whstarkhouse.org.