Art Alive! is free and open to the public during school breaks!
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Art Alive! family days at Munson include art-making activities, free performances and workshops, special guests, and a family-friendly menu at the Terrace Cafe.

Perry Ground: Native American Storyteller
11 a.m. - Stories from the People of the Longhouse
1 p.m. - Re-Thinking Thanksgiving

Perry Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. He has been telling stories for over 30 years as a means of educating people about the culture, beliefs and history of the Haudenosaunee. Perry learned many of the stories he shares from elders of Native American communities and feels that practicing and perpetuating the oral traditions of Native people is an important responsibility. He has shared stories at countless museums, libraries, classrooms, and festivals throughout the northeast and has guest lectured at numerous colleges. Perry is the former Project Director of the Native American Resource Center within the Rochester City School District and served as the Frederick H. Minett Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) during the 2021-22 academic year.

Artist statement – “I believe that storytelling is one of the most essential art forms practiced around the world today. I tell stories in a physical, engaging, exciting way because I think that people today need a visual prompt to become engaged in the story experience. It is also a fun way to teach/entertain audiences with the stories! It is very common for me to include the audience to make the listener part of the story. But just as important as the telling of the story is the traditions, beliefs and values that come from my community and that are embedded in the stories. Sharing part of my cultural heritage is the reason the Creator put me here and I'm honored to carry on this tradition.”

Funding for Art Alive! is provided by the MetLife Foundation, and by Rona Lucas, in memory of Roslyn and Irving Levine.