The REACH
Moonshot Studio
Moonshot Studio in the REACH
The Moonshot Studio at the REACH celebrates creativity and the artist in everyone through hands-on art-making. The recommended age is 5 years old and above. Stop by anytime from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on (most) Saturdays & Sundays to explore our projects.
Moonshot Studio will be CLOSED on December 2nd, 3rd, 24th, and 31st.
Open Sat. and Sun. 11am - 4:30pm
Genre
The Reach
Moonshot Studio will be CLOSED on December 2nd, 3rd, 24th, and 31st.
Celebrate the world premiere of Marcus Yi's new musical, The Dragon King's Daughter. Chinese dragon mythology, martial arts, and stunning voices combine in this new Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences commission and the Moonshot Studio has hands-on projects inspired by the tale.
Learn more and see show times and ticket availability for performances of The Dragon King's Daughter.
For a listing of performances for school groups, visit the learning guide page for registration and more about the show.
Shadow puppetry is an ancient art form that can be found in many cultures around the world. Explore this art form by building your own dragon shadow puppet using our design, then design and build your own. Next, try out your creation and in our shadow puppet theater.
Lanterns serve a variety of purposes, both practical and ceremonial. This project guides you through making your own decorative paper lantern.
Mirrors have long captured the human imagination and they play a major role in the story of The Dragon King's Daughter. In this project, build a mini kaleidoscope then see how looking at the images reflected in its mirrors alters your view of the world.
Many of our projects take 60-90 minutes to complete. These projects are self-guided and self-paced, allowing you to explore a longer artmaking process.
Moonshot Studio staff is available to introduce the projects and to lend a hand when needed.
These activities are for you!
Make-Your-Own-Myth (coming soon)
The Dragon King's Daughter draws on ancient mythology to create a modern story. Using our myth-making story cards as prompts, try making up your own modern myth.
Solve a Riddle/Leave a Riddle (coming soon)
Riddles have been around for thousands of years and are found in many cultures. See if you can solve the riddles in our room! Have a riddle you want to share? Write it down and add it to our community-sourced collection.
²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp Strives to make its performances and facilities accessible to all. If you need assistance or would like to request an accommodation, please contact the Office of Accessibility in advance of your visit at 202-416-8727 or [email protected].
Resuming in January 2024, field trips will be available, by request, Wednesdays through Fridays for groups of 25 or fewer. Email [email protected] to learn more.
Moonshot@Home is a digital series aimed at bringing the energy and joy of the Moonshot Studio to people wherever they may be.
Create colorful pennants based on the inspirational words of President Kennedy; learn about the artistic process and how artists from different art forms can inspire each other; and discover tips and tricks behind great portrait photography.
Moonshot@Home activities use widely available materials and engaging prompts to spark at-home, off-screen creative adventures for people of all ages.
The REACH is a living theater where diverse art forms collide to break down the boundaries between audience and art. It is an immersive learning center, a public incubator, and a set of dynamic, collaborative spaces within an architecturally innovative campus.
Explore the history and diversity of China’s performing arts, including highlights from the Beijing Traditional Music Ensemble, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, a shadow puppet performance from Shaanxi Folk Art Theater, a look at the exhibition of Terra Cotta Warriors, and an excerpt from Cai Guo-Qiang’s Tornado: Explosion Project for the Kennedy Center.
Chinese music dates back thousands of years and sounds different from Western music thanks to important differences in tone, musical scale, pitch, instrumentation, and individual instruments.
In this 6-8 lesson, students will learn how light interacts with matter through the creation of puppets in shadow plays. Students will examine how light travels and how an object's shadow is affected by the intensity and position of the light in relation to both the object and the surface on which a shadow is cast. This is the first lesson designed to accompany the Shadow Puppet Plays lesson.
In this 3-5 lesson, students will explore the art and culture of Chinese calligraphy and ink painting. They will learn basic calligraphy strokes and paint traditional landscapes with ink and watercolors.
David M. Rubenstein
Cornerstone of the REACH
