Art Cart 50th Birthday Party

media release: Since 1975, the Art Cart has provided free, hands-on experiences to generations of children in the Madison area. This summer marks the 50th Birthday of the beloved mobile art studio. To celebrate, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) and Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) are throwing two free birthday celebrations, and you are invited! 

Kick off the summer season with an open house at MMoCA on Saturday, June 7, 10 AM – 2 PM. This free celebration features activities across the Museum for families and caregivers with children ages 3 and above. Check out the Art Cart in front of MMoCA, explore the exhibitions on view with the scavenger hunt, and visit the Rooftop Sculpture Garden for art activities with the Art Cart crew.

“MSCR is proud of this long-standing partnership with MMOCA. Together our two organizations have created free, high-quality art experiences for thousands of families.” Shares Mary Roth, Executive Director of MSCR. “Art Cart is fundamental to engaging the next generation with art, exploration and the outdoors.”

The party continues on Sunday, July 27, 9 AM-12 PM as MSCR and MMoCA unveil the Vilas Park Shoe. Located at 1602 Vilas Park Dr., the Vilas Park Shoe is a play structure with a slide modeled after the English nursery rhyme, “There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.” Every summer, the Art Cart season culminates with a collaborative activity of designing and decorating the Vilas Park Shoe. Stop by for the grand unveiling of the Vilas Park Shoe and participate in more art projects and family fun. 

“For generations, the Art Cart has served as a creative outlet for exploring art and ideas, bringing the Museum out into the surrounding communities,” said Elise Daugherty, Learning and Community Engagement Coordinator at MMoCA. “I cannot wait to celebrate this history with our community at these two events and look forward to many more summers of artistic fun.”

To learn more about Art Cart and to see a full schedule of events, visit mmoca.org/artcart