The Jewish Museum Launches Picture This! New Monthly Family Program Series September 25 Supported by Grant from PJ Library, a Program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation

New York, NY - The Jewish Museum is launching Picture This!, a new monthly series of eight multifaceted family programs, thanks to a $25,000 grant awarded to the Museum by PJ Library, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Each monthly Picture This! program will combine a gallery experience exploring art on view with fun, interactive activities and a storybook reading. Families will also enjoy a snack, create art in a studio, and join other families to experience a concert featuring a top children’s music performer. The series kicks off on Sunday, September 25 and runs through May 2017.

The grant to the Jewish Museum is one of sixteen winning proposals chosen through a competitive process open to organizations implementing PJ Library across North America. PJ Library provides Jewish books and supports programs for families around the globe. “PJ Library’s impact goes well beyond the more than 150,000 books we send out each month across the continent,” said Judi Wisch, Director of Community Engagement for PJ Library. “We have worked closely with our local partners for years to help advance Jewish family engagement, and now we are able to add financial support to help ensure the success of great initiatives.”

Each monthly Picture This! program focuses on different ideas, stories, and art projects inspired by the Museum’s exhibitions and its collection.  Picture This! begins at 10am with a gallery tour with related interactive activities and a reading from a beloved storybook in the PJ Library collection. At 10:45am, families will create art using a variety of techniques and materials.  The program concludes with a concert at 11:30am featuring a lively children’s performer. The fall concert lineup includes the FunkeyMonkeys on September 25, Josh & the Jamtones on October 9, Alex & the Kaleidoscope on November 20, and Oran Etkin on December 25.

A series package for the four fall 2016 Picture This! programs is $80 per person; $72 per person for Jewish Museum Family Members.  Tickets can be purchased online at TheJewishMuseum.org/picturethis.

Individual concert tickets will be available for purchase at TheJewishMuseum.org/programs/families. For further information regarding family programs, the public may call 212.423.3337. The Jewish Museum is located at Fifth Avenue and 92nd Street, Manhattan.


About the Performers
Joshua Sitron, composer and musical director for Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer, conceived of FunkeyMonkeys in 2000.  The debut album, FunkeyMonkeys!, was recorded in 2001, and featured some of Broadway and television's best child stars. Soon after, Sitron (keyboard) began getting requests to hire the “monkeys” to play live and formed a band, including Eric Beyondo (trumpet), Stuart Bogie (saxophone), Brian Carter (drums), Mike Gold (balloons), Annette Guarrasi (vocals), Shawn Shafner (vocals) and Carey White (vocals). They take inspiration from diverse sources such as The Muppet Show's breaking of the 4th wall, Saturday Night Live's combination of sketch comedy and music, and Moulin Rouge's freedom to mix and match original and cover music in medleys and mash-ups.

Based in Boston, Josh & The Jamtones have opened for the popular children’s band The Wiggles, and performed live at notable events such as the Life is Good Festival, Kindiefest at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Boston’s Earthfest. The band has multiple chart-topping singles played on Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live and has sold over 40,000 records in just over two years as a band. “Our goal with the Jamtones is to create a totally unique first-music experience that parents can enjoy and share together with their kids,” says Josh Shriber.

Emmy Award winning children’s entertainer Alex Mitnick and his group of fun-loving musicians, Alex & The Kaleidoscope, have been captivating kids and adults alike with their fresh approach to music for young audiences for over a decade. Songs like “Insect Tourists,” “Crocodile,” and “Dino Dig” are not only a blast to sing and dance to but also teach fun facts, while “Mama’s In The Kitchen”, “Love Is All It Takes” and “Tell Me A Story” bring everyone together in joyous moments of musical magic. Alex’s sensitivity, humor, and ability to connect with people of all ages make his shows a wonderful, feel-good experience for the entire family, leaving audiences more connected to themselves, each other and the world around them.

Timbalooloo creator Oran Etkin is an internationally acclaimed clarinetist and composer who can be heard on major concert stages throughout the world and on a recent Grammy Award-winning anti-bullying compilation. Yet Etkin feels equally at home sitting on the floor surrounded by a gaggle of spellbound children presenting a riveting story about Tito Puente, Mahalia Jackson or his musical travels in Indonesia. Etkin has hand selected and trained a core group of creative educators who have taught Timbaloolooo classes to over 1,000 young children using his method in schools and homes throughout New York City.


About PJ Library Books
PJ Library sends free Jewish children's books to families across the world every month. Families with kids ages 6 months through 8 years old with Judaism as part of their lives, are welcome to sign up, regardless of their Jewish background, knowledge, or observance. Books for PJ Library are chosen from among the best of Jewish children's books. A committee of writers, early childhood professionals, and Jewish content specialists seek out compelling stories, captivating illustrations, and diverse perspectives on Jewish customs and practice, selecting books for every age group. Many of the books included in PJ Library have received awards including Caldecott Medals and the Sydney Taylor Book awards.