On Saturday, June 26, Westchester Children’s Museum will reopen its doors to the public for the first time since the pandemic began. The nonprofit marked the occasion with a special members opening event featuring ‘happy art’ artist Marla Beth Enowitz, founder of Marla Beth Designs, and her new interactive mural, “Climb Every Mountain.”
Families attending the members opening had the opportunity to become part of Enowitz’s latest public art display by permanently leaving their handprints in a rainbow of colors. “I was so impressed with Westchester Children’s Museum’s vibrant, colorful space after collaborating on a rainbow drip art workshop earlier this spring,” she explained. “For me, it was important to continue the rainbow theme with ‘Climb Every Mountain,’ evoking positivity and inclusiveness with bright, cheerful colors. Being June, it was also a perfect opportunity to embrace Pride Month with a message of ‘be who you are’ – it’s universal for people of all ages.”
Designed for children pre-k through middle school and located in the historic landmark Bathhouses on the Boardwalk at Rye Playland, Westchester Children’s Museum is filled with interactive exhibits not found anywhere else in this region. Families will return to the reopened Museum, now at 100 percent visitor capacity, to find an expanded, newly renovated space featuring increased opportunities for hands-on learning, STEM activities, expanded MakerSpace stations, and interactive programs to inspire curiosity and critical thinking for toddlers through tweens.
“Everyone who donated to add their handprint to the bright uplifting mural by Marla Beth Enowitz, is actually lending a hand in reopening the Westchester Children’s Museum and supporting our program,” says Leta Wong, Acting Director of the Westchester Children’s Museum. “After more than a year of being closed, we couldn’t be happier to reopen and see all of our prior visitors come back, and welcome our new members and friends to a larger, even more exciting hands-on Museum!”
A Rye Brook momprenuer, Enowitz turned her love of painting from hobby to business once the pandemic hit. Her designs, described as equal parts whimsical and sophisticated, are often inspired by the imaginative minds of children. Enowitz’s custom pieces are featured in some of the most beautiful private homes and businesses in the tri-state including The First Bank of Greenwich and The Spa at The J House as well as in large-scale public art displays at The Westchester, the Jefferson Valley Mall and The Palace Theatre.
Visit marlabethdesigns.com to shop available offerings or commission new work. Westchester Children’s Museum will resume regular operating hours(Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10am – 12pm and 1:30 – 4:00pm) following the general public opening on June 26. To learn more, visit www.discoverwcm.org.
