Sinister Pop Family Day
Apr 10, 2013

On Saturday, March 9, kids and their parents took center stage at the Whitney’s Family Day in conjunction with the Sinister Pop exhibition. In the spirit of Pop art, families explored what it means to be a celebrity and how icons are created, with guest appearances by artists Dave McKenzie and The Bumbys. Other Pop art and celebrity-inspired activities included print-making, karaoke, performance, and activities in the galleries, and posing on a red carpet for paparazzi-style Polaroid pictures.

In the lobby, Dave McKenzie performed While Supplies Last (2003), wearing a giant papier-mâché mask of himself, while handing out a miniature bobble-head based on his own appearance. The over-sized mask and the bobble-heads—which usually portray well-known people or characters—challenged spectators to question the whole notion of identity as well as the supposed celebrity of “Dave.”

The Bumbys are a pair of performance artists who offer Fair and Honest Appraisals of Your Appearance. Disguised in hats, wigs, masks, and sunglasses and using manual typewriters, the Bumbys studied kids and parents closely as they stood in front of them and then composed detailed responses based on how they looked. Taking a cue from sports and television ratings, The Bumbys concluded each appraisal with a numbered score, raising questions about judging people by their appearance.

Congratulations to Billie Rae Vinson, Coordinator of Family Programs, and Jamie Rosenfeld, Education Assistant, who organized the activities and had to reschedule the event because of the snowstorm on February 8. This was their first family day!

Check out more pictures of Sinister Pop Family Day. Photographs by Sean Carroll.

Brittni Zotos, Interpretation Intern