OpenheartCreatures Now Has a Permanent Installation in the New Wonder Room at the Columbus Museum of Art
OpenHeartCreatures is proud to announce a permanent installation in the new Wonder Room at the Columbus Museum of Art. The Wonder room is a family friendly interactive space for hands on creativity and hands on imagination play. This magical forest exhibit includes a tree house, a “one of a kind” moving mirror, spaces to create unique art, and a wall with Heidi Kambitsch’s custom handmade costumes. Come visit the museum to dress up and transform yourself into a bat, a bird, a merged animal, or even a wicked troll. All ages welcome!
Here are a few things people have to say about it.
“It is so unbelievably cool that this person gets to be a force in our children’s lives. Way to go, Heidi and Openheartcreatures! Can’t wait to check out the Wonder Room at Columbus Museum of Art”. ~ Susan Wallace (OpenheartART parent)
“Heidi is silly and imaginative and caring and makes Columbus a much, much better place. Take a second to watch this PBS piece and learn more about the Open Heart Creatures gang. It’s a great video, but seeing them at Goodale Park, Pecha Kucha and other events are wonderfully inspiring. I hope you get to interact with them (and play) sometime soon.”~ James Thornburg
“Well done Heidi Kambitsch! What a pleasure to know you and what a gift for our kids to spend their days with you. Simply magical.” ~Julia M. Applegate (OpenheartART parent)
“Heidi, I have to be honest here… I have always wanted to come out and see your shows, possibly photograph them, maybe even photograph the process (sewing, preparing, etc) — but, I have always been scared. Masks horrify me. I couldn’t even make it through whole videos or albums.
I don’t like not being able to see people’s eyes and facial movements. I could not think of something more terrifying than a masquerade ball.
That being said, seeing this video was very impacting for me. One line in particular hit home. You mentioned your work with children trying to cope with uncomfortable situations and how the masks/puppets were used as tools (which I did not know). Then you said, “It is about creating space for people to feel comfortable to express themselves. […] And, play.”
There is an irony there in those words — something I’ve found so fearful my whole life, is something you use to provide comfort.
The way you said it, put me IN the costume instead of being a viewer of the costume. It allowed me to feel how that would feel. For example, I have anxiety. Performing in front of people, is right up there with a masquerade ball, ha! But….. if I were in a costume, I could be whatever facet of myself I wanted. I could match a costume to a particular feeling or expression.
There is something about the way you delivered that line, that obliterated my fear of your body puppets. Where at first I was seeing the puppets as a barricade between me & my ability to read another person…. now, I see a way to experience parts of someone I may have never had the chance to. I see a way for people to communicate without “all eyes on them.” A way to be vulnerable, while still wrapped in a blanket (so to speak).
I’ve always thought your idea was beautiful, due to my own fear, I was just not willing to actually experience the beauty in person. I had no doubt of the beauty though. But now…. I don’t feel that same discomfort. I am excited to finally come out and experience this in person. Thank you, for this. Your interview is eloquent and luring. Your open heart is felt.” ~ AJ Ingram Elijah
“What you describe is my feeling being inside of one of Heidi’s giant head puppets. Playing while wearing those puppets unleashed a sense of play inside of myself and somehow through my limbs, hands, feet, hips and head that I know came from inside of me but couldn’t remember the last time I had experienced that level of freedom and flow of creativity. The way I chose to move my body was influenced by the puppet head, and just opened a channel or turned on a faucet of freedom and creativity. I literally surprised myself with my own movements and sense of play. It’s completely freeing. I can’t really explain it. But it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.” ~Kim Crabtree
“Heidi creates a way for people to show their imagination though body puppets and helps you think outside of the box. It opens your mind and heart to a whole new way to play with your imagination. It also creates a way for people to feel more comfortable with their inner self. Some people are scared to be seen in costumes that may make them seem weird or silly. When you are behind a mask or puppet your imagination wonders and brings out the kid in you. It can also give you a freedom to be silly and not so serious. The puppets are the away to play and connect with people away from a computer screen or phone screen.” ~ Cellissa Woods (Openheartcreatures student intern)
Welcome Jordana Saunders! OpenHeartCreatures new creative assistant
Jordana Saunders is an artist who loves exploring different mediums and ideas and collaborating with other artists. She attended Savannah College of Art and Design for Fashion Design. She lives for glitter and sparkly things and people and travel.
Jordana has been working side by side with Heidi this past month creating 47 costumes for the Columbus Museum of Art’s new family friendly interactive Wonder Room. Join us for a members opening tomorrow December 14th 10am to 5pm Prepare to be transformed.
Thank you Jordana!!! for helping bring the creatures to life<3
FUN for the whole family! Please join us for TODAY’S FUN ~Raising Event! “Bully Eraser~ Love Replacer”
FUN ~ Raiser schedule:
4-5pm puppet play and dress up
5-5:30pm short interactive performance by Heidi & Heidi
5:30-6pm food set up and dinner time
6-7pm Q&A dialogue and sharing of stories
YOU and your family are invited !
Please come and help us raise awareness and money for this important “Bully Eraser ~ Love Replacer” performance.
We are throwing a birthday party for Pilgrim, a character in this performance who is 4 years old and loves to dress up in dresses and sparkles! We accept Pilgrim for who he is with no judgement with how he expresses his 4 year old self. Erase gender behavior norms, Erase hate, Erase what is hurtful and replace it with loving kindness.
Come!
SING Happy Birthday to Pilgrim
PLAY with the many Body Puppets and hand puppets on display
EAT Pad Thai by Cafe International. Gluten free, vege, and children options will be served. (with spice on the side)
PARTICIPATE in a short preview performance ending with a
Q & A dialogue sharing with Heidi and Heidi!
HELP erase bully behavior and learn ways to replace it with love behavior.
Pilgrim Princess Boy will accept gifts of money donation to help bring this important project to schools, libaries, and museums everywhere.
If you are unable to contribute to this fund PLEASE come anyways! We love and appreciate all of your many ways of support 🙂
To learn more about this project visit our website
https://openheartcreatures.wordpress.com/
With much Openhearted love,
Mama Heidi Kambitsch
Openheartcreatures at ROOTWIRE festival August 18 2-4pm
A Rainbow of Vegetables 1 Hour Workshop, 1 Hour Performance, Saturday 2pm-4pmThis offering will focus on how good one feels after eating a ‘rainbow’ of fruits and vegetables. During the workshop, participants will create masks of different varieties of fruits and vegetables which will then be used in a performance demonstrating the colors of the rainbow based on the colors represented in those masks. The workshop and performance will build off the books “How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods” by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers, and “The Way I Feel” by Janan Cain. Improv storytelling will be used throughout the performance, incorporating the children’s responses about eating healthy foods that were prompted during the workshop.
Click on the link below to learn more about this AMAZING festival!
http://rootwirefestival.com/kids-zone
FUN raiser August 4th 4-7pm
If you have a bully in your life, or your child does or you were bullied as a child or you were a bully at some point in your life… Please attend! And Invite your friends! This important project needs your help! Help us raise money to bring this performance into classrooms everywhere!
Click on this link to learn more Bully ERASER ~ Love Replacer an anti-bullying body puppet performance!
An interview with Heidi Kambitsch of Openheartcreatures
Click on this link for an awesome Interview with Heidi Kambitsch OpenheartCREATURES Unleashed~ a featured Artist article by Social Columbus
Openheartcreatures brought some ALTERNATIVE to Alternative Fashion Mob fashion show! 100 feet runways rock.
“Free the Puppet”
“Free the Puppet” is about OPEN expression…dropping defenses! dropping strings! dropping fears. Come to our show this Saturday Comfest (Goodale Park Short North Columbus) Live Arts stage 1:30pm & help us free the puppets and release the puppet in us all. Special guests Mike Siculan & friends, and Sarah Whaley’s amazing son Matthew & a bike sculpture acting as a puppet theater by artist Todd Koenig. We hope to see your heart dancing!
Openheartcreatures latest body puppet ~ Pizza puppet~
With Velcro interchangeable toppings. pepperoni. green pepper. mushrooms. black olives. and people.
Made with love for Nick Gore with GoreMade Pizza. Visit his website to learn more about this story and about his really tasty pizza!
Openheartcreature giving support for Columbus Downtown Marathon runners
Spontaneous Cheering! is one of my most favorite things to do with the body puppets♥ What a beautiful day of strength, sweat, support, love, courage, dance and Running. A smile can go a really long way and lift a person heart up with belief:)
Open Heart Creatures 
