Alexander Calder’s work inspires LS kids in creation of kinetic sculpture

More than 20 kids channeled their energy into making kinetic sculptures Monday night, with a little inspiration from the works of Alexander Calder. The program at the Colbern Road branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library in Lee’s Summit focused on getting them to create their own versions of Calder’s famous mobiles.

Morgan Daigneault, youth services associate for the library, said she likes to draw from a variety of artists and art styles when creating a craft program. The benefit of Calder is that science and engineering skill go into making a mobile stand and balance.

“Mobiles are colorful, and they allow for a lot of creativity,” Daigneault said. “(Calder isn’t) a name you hear constantly in school, like Leonardo da Vinci.”

Looking at the science of mobiles makes the topic more interdisciplinary.

“What does kinetic mean? It means movement and motion, and that’s what makes Calder’s sculptures so unique is their movement. They interact with the wind, and they can be big or small,” she said. “Even if it’s just an art program, I like to incorporate the whole STEM spectrum — a little bit of science, a little mathematical engineering thinking, but I want it to feel fun and effortless.”

She likes that the kids have to engage a variety of skills to be successful at making mobiles.

“What does it mean if something is balanced? So if one side is totally drooping down, what does it mean? What do you need to do to the other side? It allows for trial and error, being willing to make mistakes and figure stuff out,” Daigneault said.

It was a new concept for some of the kids. When Daigneault asked them to define what a mobile was, one suggested it was related to T-Mobile, while another said it had to be like the Batmobile.

After looking at pictures of Calder’s work and having a chat about the basics of a mobile, the kids leaped into mobile creation. Their supplies included wooden sticks, colorful pipe cleaners and shapes cut out of sheets of foam. Daigneault was on hand to help cut and twist wire.

Five-year-old Grace Mueller of Lee’s Summit made a nature-inspired craft, with a glittery yellow pipe cleaner sun dangling next to blue foam swirls of wind and wire twisted into the shape of a mountain range.

For Lee’s Summit resident Ian Lee, 3, the goal was to make his mobile look like a policeman.

Different aspects of the program attracted families.

Lee’s Summit resident Lytreese Lee brought her sons to the program to work on requirements for winter learning from the Lee’s Summit School District.

Many of the attendees are regulars at the library.

“We bring them to almost all the programs,” said Kelley Driskell of Lee’s Summit. “They do a really good job with them here.”

The branch is a favorite for many parents who home-school their children.

“They’re out here four to five times a week,” said Lee’s Summit resident Daren Rice. “We’re at the library a lot.”

This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 12:00 AM.