Kids don’t need much but there are a few must-haves besides food, shelter and clothes. Fresh air is an example. Kids need to get outside to explore the world around them. It helps them grow and gives them exercise. Another example is a creative outlet. Kids, especially little ones, need a way to express themselves and sometimes they just don’t know the right words. Art expands their minds and fuels the imagination.

Lucky for kids of all ages, there is an event Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that combines fresh air with creativity. The mission of Art in Avondale Park is “to inspire children to discover their talents.” They’ll be able to do just that through lots of hands-on activities placed around the park, located at the corner of 41st Street South and 5th Avenue South. There will also be music and dance, booths manned by well-known and emerging artists, a silent auction and more.

Details of the day’s activities after the jump. You can also click on the image to view the poster in PDF format.

Children’s Parade

Start the day off by cheering on the Children’s Parade at 10:30 a.m. The parade leaves Avondale Elementary and takes a route through Forest Park Village, down 39th Street and into the park.

Canvas Painting
Throughout the day, children will be encouraged to paint a self portrait on six canvases sponsored by the Avondale Business Association. The canvases will be displayed in the Avondale brach of the Birmingham Public Library for one month and then given to the six top membership contributors to be displayed in their office as a sign of community support.

Silent Auction
Imagine Partners in Art recently hosted a creative workshop to benefit Art in Avondale Park. Twelve community leaders had fun using their hands to make clay masks. The masks will be up for bid during the day in the park and then bidding moves to Imagine (210 41st St. South) until 7 p.m. All proceeds to benefit Art in Avondale Park. Participants included Larry Langford, mayor-elect; Patrick Cooper, former mayoral candidate; William Bell, city councilman; Valerie Abbott, city councilwoman; Victoria Coman, Birmingham News reporter; Jeff McGee, chief administrator of Family Court of Jefferson County; Michael Mazer, owner of Mazer’s Discount Home Center and president of the Avondale Business Association; David Flemming, executive director of Main Street Birmingham; David Commer, senior pastor at Avondale United Methodist Church; Sheri Van Pelt, director of VSA Arts of Alabama; Priscilla Hancock Cooper, vice president of institutional programs at Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; and Richard Carnaggio, local architect.