Community Corner
Beth Bales: Let Books or Movies Take Shape in a Diorama
Create a scene from a favorite book or movie, as part of the Geneva Public Library's Fourth Annual Diorama Contest.
This seems like a perfect project for lazy—or at least less-hectic—summer days: create a three-dimensional scene from a favorite book or movie.
It’s the fourth annual 's Diorama Contest. People are to fashion a scene with three-dimensional figures. There are three categories: youth, teen/adult and family.
Registration packets became available Tuesday, July 5, and will continue to be available until Aug. 12 at the library, 127 James St. Judging, as well as public viewing from noon to 2 p.m., occurs Aug. 20. (Note: school begins Aug. 24!)
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Don’t know how to make a diorama? Most kids have made them in school. And as the library notes, there’s information and instructions online, at a variety of websites. The library also directs prospective diorama builders to its “elibrary” site, to “h” for “hobbies and crafts.”
A quick search of the library’s own site turned up a page with the 2010 winners, for a view as to what’s been done before. http://www.geneva.lib.il.us/diorama The house from Up, is suspended in mid-air, via balloons, in one. “Hansel and Gretel” are represented (complete with gingerbread cottage!), as is Charlotte’s Web. Harry Potter is there as well and one entry took great pride in hometown with a “Sweetish Days” diorama.
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
When I first heard about this contest I wanted to create a scene from one of the “Betsy-Tacy” books, a series from my childhood that is such a favorite of mine that (a) I reread it frequently and (b) I looked to purchase one of them first when I got my ereader. (Haven’t done it yet, but I have a coupon from Barnes and Noble so ...) I thought of Betsy, Tacy and Tib (the third in the trio) climbing the Big Hill and looking down upon Betsy’s cottage, Tacy’s home, the pump and Tib’s famous chocolate-colored house. I probably won’t get around to it, primarily because the one daughter who would probably help me lives in Chicago now.
But I can dream. And others can do. I’ll look forward to seeing what they create, from odds and ends, paper and glue, and imagination.
