Mo Willems’ tenure as the Kennedy Center’s Education Artist-in-Residence is about to end, and the author of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and other beloved children’s books will blow out his departure with a giant floor mural at the Reach starting this coming Saturday, October 9.
“We Are All Connected” will kick off with a daylong opening festival. Willems has invited 240 volunteers to join him in placing dots around the Reach’s plaza; he’ll then connect them with black lines. The resulting artwork will remain in place until March 1, 2022.
Willems will be joined at the event by the theater artist Erika Rose and his successor as the Kennedy Center’s Education Artist-in-Residence, Jacqueline Woodson. There will be musical performances, a giant inflatable Willems pigeon, and a dance party. Admission is free, but the Kennedy Center encourages people to reserve in advance.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
