Events & Museum Programs

Festivals and Workshops

As Creative Engagement Producer for the Peabody Essex Museum, I developed and produced hundreds of programs each year. These ranged from weekly recurring programs to one-off workshops to large multi-day festivals that engaged thousands of visitors in art, culture, and storytelling.

Caryn leans in at a table to help a young visitor with an art making activity

Caryn leading an art making workshop, a crowd of families watching her demonstration

An overhead view of a very large crowd in a big museum atrium space watching a Chinese drumming troupe perform

A collage of image for a Stop Motion Animation workshop showing an informational sign, a young participant sketching on a white board, a small set for animating models on, and a wide view of the art studio, with participants drawing at tables

This selection of festival schedules highlights the artist and community collaboration that helped make these programs so impactful. Expand to view the full PDF.

SelectProgramScheduled_Combined.pdf

Caryn sits on a mat in the grass with a group of children, holding open a picture book for them to see

A smiling group of museum visitors dance in the atrium during a workshop, their hands thrown up into the air

A hip-hop music artist laughs with some children during a freestyle program in a museum gallery

Artist Encounters

Whether it was bringing Theo Jansen's wind-powered kinetic sculptures to downtown Boston and Crane Beach, welcoming fans of Metallica's Kirk Hammett to a book signing and Q&A, or delighting children with renowned picture book authors like Peter H. Reynolds, it was always a thrill to inspire the community with opportunities to directly engage with world-class art and artists.

Explore more:

Video: Theo Jansen's Strandbeest on Crane Beach

Authors Paul Reynolds and Peter H. Reynolds talk about their work onstage in front of a slide that reads "Create bravely."

Musician Kirk Hammett signs an exhibition book with a gold sharpie

Kirk Hammett stands with Caryn and two other museum educators

Kirk Hammett stands with a young fan dressed as the creature from the black lagoon. He is holding a copy of his museum exhibition book, It's Alive!

Kirk Hammett answers audience questions with museum curator Dan Finamore during a live event

Dutch artist Theo Jansen pulls one of his Strandbeest kinetic sculptures while speaking to a crowd outside of MIT's Media Lab

Artist Theo Jansen speaks to a crowd in an auditorium space

Artists Theo Jansen and Lena Herzog sign their exhibition book

Artist Theo Jansen reads a picture book to a group of children during a sleepover event at a museum

A picture book titled "Going Places" next to a pillow with the text "Dream with the Beest! Strandbeest Pajama Sleepover" printed on it

Museum staff and a crowd of onlookers watch a Strandbeest sculpture walk in the wind in downtown Boston

Museum staff and a crowd of onlookers watch a Strandbeest sculpture walk in the wind in on Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA

Concerts & Performances

With my theatre background, I created a robust performance program at the museum, including a multi-year residence with composer Matthew Aucoin, dynamic concerts with artists like Philip Glass, dance performances and community-focused theatre collaborations.

Many performances were thoughtfully paired with workshops, community conversations, immersive design elements, exhibition connections, or food and drink experiences to enhance the audience's interaction with the art.