FREE FAMILY FUNDAY PRESENTED BY VYSTAR CREDIT UNION AND ORLANDO HEALTH

Next date: Sunday, November 09, 2025 | 12:00 PM to 04:00 PM

Free Family Funday presented by VyStar Credit Union and Orlando Health

On the 2nd Sunday of each month – join us at the Mennello Museum for free admission all day, hourly tours, and a fine art project! Each Free Family Funday has a different art project based on the artists of the current exhibition, their subject matter, or their methods.

 

October 12 | Art Pollination Quilting Designs with Emily Johnson, Art Pollination 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Artist

Emily Johnson is an artist who makes body-based work. She belongs to the Yup’ik Nation, is a land and water protector, and an organizer for justice, sovereignty, and well-being. A Bessie Award-winning choreographer, Guggenheim Fellow, and recipient of the Doris Duke Artist Award, Emily is based in Lenapehoking/NYC and Haudenosaunee lands.

The craft of quilting has a rich history across various cultures, serving both practical functions and as a meaningful form of artistic expression. Quilts can convey identity and traditions, honor family history, or highlight social issues. In this way, quilts are much more than just blankets or decorative items; they act as powerful storytellers.
Our Future, Our Food: A Community Quilting Project+ Art Pollination will be shared in a community Art Pollination celebration at Lake Lorna Doone Park on Saturday, December 6, 2025, from 12:00 - 5:00 PM.   

November 9 | Paper Flowers with Ha’ani Hogan, Art Pollination 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Artist

Join Ha'ani Hogan, Art Pollination 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies Artist at the Mennello Museum's November 9th Free Family Funday. Create paper flowers inspired by Florida's native pollinators and learn more about how important these species are to a thriving ecosystem. 

Hogan is an Orlando-based artist, arts administrator, and technology scholar with a passion for community engagement. A Chamoru artist from Guam, she creates large-scale paper flower installations and wearable art that celebrate cultural narratives and environmental themes. Notable works include towering floral installations at Orlando City Hall, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, CityArts, and the Mall at Millenia.

Through her creative and professional roles, she continues to shape Orlando’s cultural landscape, inspiring audiences to engage with art meaningfully.

December 14 | Bee Baths with PJ Sveda, Art Pollination 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Artist

Join PJ Svejda, Art Pollination 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies Artist at the Mennello Museum's December 14th Free Family Funday. Paint and personalize a Bee Bath, which provides a safe and reliable source of water for bees and other pollinators!

Svejda studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she earned both a BA in illustration and an MA in painting. She began building her career as an artist and instructor in Atlanta, Georgia, for 12 years before relocating to Orlando, Florida, where she has had great success in the local art community. She is most recognized for her passionate narratives, which illustrate ideas of coexistence between man, beast, and planet.

Svejda has been involved in animal, environmental, and human rights activism and has found a way to merge her passion for art with her desire for change. Her paintings tell stories of pain and hope and raise the viewer’s self-awareness of their humanity, urging increased consciousness of our time on earth.

January 11 | Abstract Paper Animals with Mado Smith, Art Pollination 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Artist

Join Mado Smith, Art Pollination 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies Artist at the Mennello Museum's January 11th Free Family Funday. Explore abstraction and patterning in the animal kingdom through drawing and painting. 

Mado Smith is from Lake Mary, Florida, where swamps meet suburbs and the air hums with a thickness. His work reflects that in-betweenness—bold yet introspective, structured yet untamed. A painter and musician, he often creates pieces that feel more like artifacts than decorations—textured, raw, and a little strange, as if unearthed rather than painted.

Inspired by Florida’s singular blend of culture and ecosystem, Mado works with symbols, stories, and patterns that feel both ancient and immediate. He hopes you enjoy his work, but, more importantly, sees art as an invitation to pause, break from routine, and notice what’s been waiting for you. 

 

Docent Guided Tours are offered every hour at
12:30 pm
1:30 pm
2:30 pm

 

When

Location

Mennello Museum, 900 E. Princeton Street, 32803, View Map