Join us for a new twist on Play Date! This month our virtual Play Date will be held on Saturday morning, and we’ll focus on the contemporary art practices of comics and illustration! Meet and create with contemporary artists specializing in these practices  through workshops on Zoom.

Live virtual workshops for ages 6+ and downloadable activities will be available beginning 3/27.

Participants must supply their own materials. 

Registration is currently closed. Please check out our upcoming Virtual Play Date in April.
 

Live Program Schedule

Ages 6+

Please note our new format for Spring Play Dates! Join us for a 2-hour session where participants will have the opportunity to learn and create with two artists. The session will consist of two 30-minute workshops.

Wild and Wonderful Illustrations! with Alice Caldwell 

Did you know that alligators love marshmallows? That platypuses glow in the dark? Join the digital illustrator Alice Caldwell to draw some wild and wonderful animal illustrations, share your best animal facts, and get some great inspiration for drawing our own wild and wonderful illustrations together!

Materials:  

  • Paper, pencil, coloring materials  
  • Your best animal fact. 
  • Optional: a digital drawing device if you have one 

XSCAPE INTO COMIX! with LJ-Baptiste 

Join cartoonist LJ-Baptiste in a super engaging and character-driven comics workshop where you can hone in on some of his methods for crafting your own original stories! If you’ve been drawing a while, or trying to figure out how to start your own stories, this is the workshop for you! We’ll focus on the link between character, story, and humor! 

 Materials: 

  • Pencil 
  • Paper 
  • Pen (or any inking tool) 
  • Coloring utensils  
  • Ruler  
  • A comic that you’re inspired by!  

 

Self-Serve Activities 

Downloadable Activities

On your own time, download new hands-on artmaking activities and dive deeper into comics, illustration, and character design! Check out this month’s activities!

A black and yellow costume mask made from paper

Superhero Mask

Make art

 

A crayon drawing of a characters in overalls, rainbow-colored hair, and a giant paintbrush.

Design Your Own Superhero

Make art

 


Artist Bios

Alice Caldwell_Bio image.jpg

Alice Caldwell is an award-winning digital illustrator, storybook author, multi-media artist, art educator and a big fan of water, both for drinking and swimming. Alice grew up mostly in Europe but now lives in Quincy, MA. They draw pictures, think about sea creatures, and believes art has the power to challenge systems and change lives.  

www.alicecaldwell.com
@abluelobster 

LJ Baptiste_headshot2021.png

LJ-Baptiste is an art educator and cartoonist from Boston. He has collaborated with media giants such as Google, Hasbro, and PBS to produce essential works of art. He is best known for his ongoing comic book series, COMIXSCAPE, which features the adventures of a bright-eyed, perpetually preteen boy and his raccoon sidekick. Whether it’s work in animation, graphic apparel designs, or COMIXSCAPE, LJ’s art can be described as distinctive, masterful, and captivating. When it comes to visual communication, LJ prioritizes authenticity, details, and positive messages. 

www.comixscape.net


Virtual Play Date activities are designed for kids and their grownups to participate together. Workshops will be held on video conferencing platforms and will be live and interactive. Recommended ages are provided as a guide, but you know your child best! If you have questions about a particular workshop, don’t hesitate to reach us at familyprograms@icaboston.org.

Free Admission for Families 

On Sat, March 27, museum admission is FREE for families when accompanied by kids ages 12 and under, with up to 2 adults per family. Limited timed tickets are available in-person and all on-site programming has currently been suspended. More details 

Are there access accommodations that would be useful to help you fully participate in this program (e.g. captioning, ASL, post-program transcript)? Let us know at accessibility@icaboston.org.

Your support helps keeps programs like this – both virtual and in-person – free and accessible in this time of uncertainty. If you are able, please consider becoming a member or making a one-time gift to support the ICA.


ICA Kids and Family programs are supported, in part, by Vivien and Alan Hassenfeld, the Hassenfeld Family Foundation, the Willow Tree Fund, and Raymond T. & Ann T. Mancini Family Foundation.