Storytime Studio: Home Is Where the Heart Is
Storytime Studio: Home Is Where the Heart Is is a one-hour, interactive program for children from birth through age 6 and their caregivers. Inspired Child teaching artist Mama Sylvia leads a read-aloud celebrating the people and places that make Washington, DC, feel like home, followed by art exploration and a visit to the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden.
This week’s featured book is *A to Z: The Real DC*, written by teen authors from Reach Incorporated. The program also highlights Lauren Halsey’s monumental sculpture *keepers of the krown (antoinette grace halsey)* (2024), which honors Halsey’s hometown of South Central Los Angeles and her grandmother. Participants will create their own monuments to people and places that matter to them.
When: November 11, 2026
Showtimes: Two sessions are offered, with entry at 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Each adult and child may participate for one hour.
Schedule: The 10:00 AM session includes open play at 10:00, a read-aloud at 10:15, art-making at 10:30, and a gallery tour at 10:45. The 11:00 AM session follows the same format at 11:00, 11:15, 11:30, and 11:45, respectively.
Tickets: Price not available
Registration: No advance registration is required. Admission is first-come, first-served, and capacity is limited. If the 10:00 AM session fills, visitors may be offered entry to the 11:00 AM session. Entry pauses when both sessions reach capacity.
Audience: Children from birth through age 6 and their caregivers. Everyone is welcome, including nursing caregivers.
Lineup: Inspired Child teaching artist Mama Sylvia leads the program. She specializes in West African dance and music and will incorporate interactive movement into the read-aloud.
Program: Storytime Studio combines open-ended play, educator-led reading, art-making, and gallery exploration. Open-play materials include felt, blocks, and sketching supplies.
Featured book: *A to Z: The Real DC* by the teen authors of Reach Incorporated.
Featured artwork: Lauren Halsey’s *keepers of the krown (antoinette grace halsey)* (2024) in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden.
Venue: Hirshhorn Art School, on the museum’s Lower Level, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue SW and 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20560.
Accessibility: ASL interpretation, live captioning, and other accommodations may be requested by contacting HMSGeducation@si.edu. Requests are encouraged one to two weeks in advance.
Strollers: Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.
Groups: School, youth, and other groups of eight or more adults and children are encouraged to reserve a group program by contacting HMSGeducation@si.edu.
Organizer: Hirshhorn Education. The program is presented with Inspired Child, a nonprofit providing early-childhood arts education for children, families, caregivers, and educators in underresourced District of Columbia communities.