Color-A-Thon Run & Walk to Benefit Nigra Arts Center

June 14, 2017 by Terry Swierzowski in Events

Get ready for a rainbow of colors and fun during a Color-A-Thon Run & Walk on Saturday, July 15, to benefit the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts! The public is invited to participate in and/or sponsor the colorful event, which will take place on the grounds of the center, located at 2736 State Highway 30. Registration will take place 9-10 a.m. and the run/walk begins at 10:30 a.m. Participants will receive a free t-shirt and a color pack as long as they register by July 4.

Throughout the family fun course, runners and walkers will be splashed with washable color dust at “color bomb stations.” The dust is safe, non-toxic and completely washable. The race will not be timed.

Participants will be able to purchase fun items the day of the Color-A-Thon Run & Walk, ranging from sunglasses and socks to rainbow wigs and tutus. Water will be available on site. There will also be food for sale and live entertainment during a Color Blast Party!

The entry fee is $30 per person. Those who wish to register can do so at LexingtonCenterColorRun.com or in person the day of the event. Businesses who wish to sponsor the Color-A-Thon Run & Walk should contact Amanda Bowman at (518) 775-9863 or bowmana@lexcenter.org or Lynette May at (518) 774-3292 or mayl@lexcenter.org. For more information about this event, visit pncreativeartscenter.org.

The rain date is Saturday, July 22.

Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts to host Easter Bunny Family Fun Day

March 23, 2017 by Terry Swierzowski in Events

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts will host its second annual Easter Bunny Family Fun Day on Saturday, April 15, from noon until 3 p.m. Children of all ages are welcome to come enjoy an Easter egg hunt, a Bunny Hop dance and a contest to win a giant chocolate bunny donated by EMVI Chocolate.

Admission to the event is $5 per person. For an additional $5, participants can enter the Easter Bonnet Contest. Those interested should bring a hat. The Nigra Arts Center will provide all other materials necessary to design a beautiful Easter bonnet.

The Nigra Arts Center is also offering an opportunity for children with special needs to meet with the Sensory Friendly Easter Bunny, who will be stationed nearby in a quiet location. Steps will be taken to reduce sensory triggers and create a more comfortable and subdued environment where children with special needs can meet and take photos with the bunny.

Families with children who have special needs may also be interested in the Nigra Arts Center’s True Colors: An Autism Awareness Celebration on Friday, April 14 from 2-4 p.m. April is Autism Awareness Month, so the Nigra Arts Center is celebrating by exploring how the arts benefit people with autism every day. Representatives from Transitions will man stations that share how this premier Apprenticeship program helps young adults with autism and other learning differences live independent and fulfilling lives. The band Flame will provide live entertainment. This free event is open to children and adults of all ages.

Easter Bunny Family Fun Day is sponsored by Fidelis Care, a provider of health insurance coverage to New York State residents of all ages. For more information about them, visit www.fideliscare.org.

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is located at 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville. For more information, please call (518) 661-9932 or visit www.pncreativeartscenter.org.

Family fun events at the Nigra Arts Center this weekend

December 06, 2016 by Terry Swierzowski in Events

The weekend of December 10 and 11 will be full of holiday fun for families with children of all ages at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts.

The arts center will host its Polar Express Celebration for the second consecutive year on Saturday, December 10, from noon to 3 p.m. Children and their families are welcome to join the celebration as the center transforms into the North Pole. Attendees will enjoy crafts, live entertainment and all kinds of family fun inspired by Chris Van Allsburg’s classic book “The Polar Express.” Concessions will be available for purchase and Santa Claus, the guest of honor, will be available for photos. Admission is $5 to benefit the Nigra Arts Center or a new, unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots.

The arts center will also host a Sensory Santa event on Sunday, December 11, 2-4 p.m. Sensory Santa is ideal for children with special needs such as autism and sensory processing disorders who may be overwhelmed by large crowds, bright lights and loud music. Children will meet with Sensory Santa alone in a quiet, soothing atmosphere, where they will receive individualized attention. Sensory Santa’s suit will be extra soft for a comforting sensory experience and there will be no nearby distractions such as elves, colorful decorations or blinking lights. While they wait to meet with Sensory Santa, children will be provided with coloring books and crayons. Attendees may register in advance by calling (518) 661-9932 or visiting www.pncreativeartscenter.org.

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is located at 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville. For more information about these events or the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts, visit www.pncreativeartscenter.org or call (518) 661-9932.

Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts to host Mother’s Day Celebration

April 12, 2016 by Terry Swierzowski in Events

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is holding a Mother’s Day Celebration on Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. One mother per family will be admitted free to this special family event. The cost for the rest of the family is $15 per person.

Mothers are invited to enjoy brunch and music among beautiful works of art in the center’s Grand Gallery. While they relax, their children will rotate between craft stations, making them handmade gifts such as jewelry, cards and individually decorated cupcakes. Arts center instructors at each station will help the children make something truly special and personal for their mothers.

All are welcome to attend the Mother’s Day Celebration. It will take place at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts, 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville. Pre-registration is required. To reserve your family’s place at the celebration, visit conta.cc/1SyrCVa or call (518) 661-9932.

For more information or questions, visit www.pncreativeartscenter.org, call (518) 661-9932 or email nigras@pnarts.org.

Nigra Arts Center announces Mother’s Day Celebration

April 06, 2016 by Terry Swierzowski in Events

Sensory Friendly Easter Bunny event held at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts

March 17, 2016 by Terry Swierzowski in Events

Children with special needs had the opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny in an environment tailored to them at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts on March 11.

Traditional Easter Bunny photo ops at malls and other public places can be challenging for children with autism, sensory processing disorders and other special needs that make it hard for them to handle crowds, bright lights and dissonant noises, but the Nigra Arts Center’s Sensory Easter Bunny eliminated those sensory triggers. Instead, children met the Easter Bunny in a subdued, open space while relaxing music played quietly.

The children traveled between several activity stations while they waited for their photo op. Outside was an Easter egg hunt and in the kitchen children decorated bunny-shaped sugar cookies. In the art studios they worked on Easter-themed and sensory friendly painting, coloring, egg decorating and yarn crafts.

The event was a success, with 25 children in attendance.

“Both boys absolutely loved it,” said Heather Tomlinson. “For Caleb to stay through the event and complete everything there says so much. And Jacob says he had a lot of fun.”

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts also hosted sensory-friendly meetings with Santa Claus in December. On March 12 it welcomed families of all kinds from the community for its Easter Family Fun Day, which featured egg hunts, crafts, games, concessions and pictures with the Easter Bunny. More than 100 people attended the event.

Families Invited to Easter Events at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts

March 03, 2016 by Terry Swierzowski in Events

This March, the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is getting into the Easter spirit with special events geared toward families and children of all kinds.

Easter Bunny Family Fun Day will happen on Saturday, March 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. All families are welcome, with an admission fee of $7 per child above age 2. Activities will include Easter egg decorating, an Easter egg hunt with prizes, crafts, dancing and photos with the Easter Bunny. Please RSVP if you plan to attend at www.bit.ly/1QKEbON.

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is also offering an opportunity for children with special needs to meet the Easter Bunny. Their Sensory Friendly Easter Bunny event will take place on Friday, March 11, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. During the event, steps will be taken to reduce sensory triggers, creating a more comfortable and subdued environment for children with special needs to meet and take photos with the Easter Bunny. The cost is $5 per child. Please register for this event in advance at www.bit.ly/1QrUKjP.

All are welcome to attend these events. Both will take place at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts, 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville. For more information or questions about either, visit www.pncreativeartscenter.org or call (518) 661-9932.