SEATTLE — Sometimes the hardest part of finding a quarantine project or pastime is knowing where to begin. Here are five local websites offering free downloads for exploration, education, and artwork:
Ryan Henry Ward (artist)
His series of vibrant murals in Seattle made artist Ryan Henry Ward famous, and his paintings sell for hundreds of dollars. But right now, you can download his 42-page coloring book for free (just look for the pop-up on his website.)
"I think it's a time right now too where everyone's stressed out and financially kind of holding back a little bit, and instead of trying to sell people stuff I just wanted to give away something,” he said. "I feel like love is the answer in times like this.”
Museum of Flight
You can't visit the Museum of Flight in-person right now, but you can still explore aviation via the website. There are free downloadable STEM activities, broken down by school years. You can also try your hand at a virtual puzzle - no printing required!
LeMay – America’s Car Museum
The world-class automotive museum is closed to traffic, but the education team has translated a love for heavy metal into a series of downloadable STEAM templates and lesson plans to get your engineering gears moving.
Tacoma Art Museum
While the galleries are closed, you can virtually walk through Tacoma Art Museum's collections online. Visitors can also download instructions for a variety of projects, from collages to printmaking - and possibly discover a hidden talent.
"People are spending a lot more time at home, so maybe they're tapping into creative impulses that they've kind of put to the side,” said Christina Westpheling Director of Education and Community Engagement. “(We’re) encouraging people to take a little bit of a creative risk while no one is watching."
Museum of Glass
The Tacoma destination is known for the active hot shop that visitors can watch from the museum floor. But the website’s fun downloads don’t require any molten glass. Instead, there are instructions for unique projects like book-making, paper weaving, and self-portraits.
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