MILLVILLE, NJ (September 27, 2024) – WheatonArts will be presenting an afternoon of diverse family activities throughout the campus on Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are welcome to Trick-or-Treat in Halloween costumes and meet traditional costumed characters played by the talented Mystic Realms actors. The Down Jersey Folklife Center will also present The Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage, emphasizing the historic connections between cultures celebrating Ancestral Connections, Halloween, and/or Day of the Dead. With a primary focus on West African cultures, The Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage depicts our region through narrated presentations of ceremonies, ritual mask dances, drumming, and traditional crafts. The activities will highlight the cultural heritage of the African communities as well as those whose cultures have been influenced by African history, traditions, and aesthetics, including those from the Caribbean islands, Central and South America.

Attendees are also welcome to visit the Museum of American Glass for special exhibit tours, watch live demonstrations in our Artist Studios, participate in a campus-wide scavenger hunt, hear live music, enjoy a bit to eat, and more. 

HalloWheaton and the Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage are FREE to the public, part of WheatonArts Family Days! Presented by PNC Arts Alive! The Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage is supported in part by the NJ Council
for the Humanities.

Event highlights on October 26th include:

• Performances by Malidelphia Performing Arts, Diablada Boliviana, GRUFOLPAWA, and Ritmo y Danzas de Panama, as well as Mafalda Thomas-Bouzy and Omomola Iyabunmi. Mask dances include African Essachier and Kakilambe dances, Bolivian-African Morenada dance, Panamanian-African Congo and Diablos de Espejos dances, as well as Caribbean Moco Djembe dance on stilts.
• Visit various displays and hands-on demonstrations in traditional arts, such as woodcarving, drum and mask making, dance garments, shekere traditions, and hair braiding, which will provide creative experiences and a deeper understanding of the various forms of African cultural heritage.
• Trick-or-Treating around campus and opportunities to meet with traditional costumed characters for photos.
• Visit our community partner booths for various activities & games, including Girl Scouts of Central & Southern NJ, Cumberland County Library, Seeds of Love Yoga, PRAC of Southern NJ, Holly City Family Success Center of Millville, and more.
• Free family art activities such as Chalk-Topia: Sidewalk Chalk Station, Friendly Ghost Pom Pom Popper, and Witch’s Spell Activity Sheet. Families can also participate in the campus-wide scavenger hunt.
• Take a self-guided tour of the Folklife Center to experience the current exhibit, Ceremonies in Circles, featuring traditional West African masks, garments, woodcarvings, and ceremonial objects used in special rituals and community celebrations.
• Visit the Museum and do a self-guided tour of the exhibition, Centuries of Tomfoolery: Trick Glasses, Pipes, & Whimsical Delights. Discover how contemporary glassmakers use practical archaeology to understand Renaissance drinking games and party tricks.
• Create a fused glass magnet, pendant, or suncatcher in the Education Studio for a discounted fee of $10 per magnet/pendant and $20 per suncatcher.

More details can be found online at wheatonarts.org or by calling 856-825-6800.

WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events, and programs to all persons with disabilities. Provide two weeks’ notice for additional needs. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) at 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.

Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. WheatonArts also receives general operating support from the New Jersey Historical Commission, Division of Cultural Affairs in the New Jersey Department of State, and is supported in part by the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism. Special project support for the Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage activities has been provided by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. 

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About WheatonArts: With a history spanning over five decades, WheatonArts has earned regional, national, and international recognition for its unique collections and programs. The Museum of American Glass (accredited by the American Alliance of Museums) houses one of the country’s most comprehensive collections of American glass – from the first glass bottles made in America to celebrated works by Dale Chihuly, Paul Stankard, and other contemporary glass artists. In the Artist Studios, visitors experience the art of glassmaking, pottery, and flameworking. From April through December, the Museum of American Glass and Down Jersey Folklife Center present special exhibitions. WheatonArts also offers traditional and multicultural programs, classes, workshops, performances, and weekend festivals. The award-winning Museum Stores offer traditional and contemporary art and craft in all mediums.

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