Press

ALBANY, NY – Joan Steiner’s “Look-Alikes’’ will be the theme of the New York State

Museum’s next Family Fun Weekend May 5 and 6.

Family Fun Weekend, presented by Fidelis Care, takes place from 1- 4 p.m. both

days. Activities, which are free of charge, are held mostly in Bird Hall, on the Museum’s

first floor.


The program coincides with the opening on Saturday, May 5 of Steiner’s new

exhibition at the State Museum – Look-Alikes: The Amazing World of Joan Steiner. A

Hudson artist, Steiner uses everyday objects to create three-dimensional dioramas in

which the objects themselves become hidden. Her books “Look-Alikes’’ invite readers to

locate the familiar items -- a pretzel, coin or zipper -- from within the scenes she creates

of a park, ice cream shop or zoo. Adults and children often find that the search becomes

habit forming.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, Steiner will present a 30-minute slide show in South Hall and

will be available to greet visitors after that. At 2 p.m. Saturday Lou Pollack, a

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designer-illustrator from Bearsville, will talk and demonstrate how to make a picture

book. Children will be able to make their own book to take home.

Throughout the day on Sunday artists represented by “The Bad as Art Gallery,’’ based

in Albany, will present an interactive illustration workshop. The gallery promotes fair

trade sales of fine art crafts, created by artists from 28 second and third-world countries.

Albany-area artists who will participate in Sunday’s program include Dave Geurin, Heidi

Weinman, Lisa McLain, Stephen Mead and Marcus K. Anderson.

Throughout the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday, visitors will be able to make their

own “Look-Alike” picture collage by choosing from hundreds of pictures from

magazines. They can also make a craft straight from Steiner’s “Look-Alike’’ bookS,

use lollipops and “Bugle” snacks to create an elf and participate in a “Look-Alike”

scavenger hunt and win a prize. Family Fun activity packets also will be distributed.

Family Fun Weekends, presented by Fidelis Care, offer theme-based family activities,

on the first weekend of the month.

The New York State Museum, established in 1836, is a program of the New York

State Education Department. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in

Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving and

Christmas. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible.

Further information about Museum programs and events can be obtained by calling

(518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum Web site at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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