Two children play indoors near a wooden bridge and a colorful wall. One child in a dragon costume stands on the bridge, while another, dressed as a vegetable, plays with toys in the background. The room has a mural with leaves and flowers.
Experience / Exhibitions / Our Dragon Story

Our Dragon Story

What happens when dragons meet inside the Turnblad Mansion? Find out for yourself in Our Dragon Story, the American Swedish Institute’s new Family Gallery experience created by children for children.

ASI’s Family Gallery has transform into a vibrant and immersive space for young visitors to experience stories created by local artists Magdalena Mora, Seth Eberle and Bart Buch, and Trent Stadler, and fifth grade students at Hope Academy. Illustration and sculpture, large- and small-scale play elements, and areas for quiet play and reading, offer hands-on play and learning opportunities for children and accompanying adults.

Magdelena’s bespoke illustrations are join by unique paper art by Bart and Seth, and fabricated elements by Trent Stadler. Each component was created in collaboration with Hope Academy students in workshops. Drawings, models, sculpture, video and picture will share the creative process behind the finished Family Gallery, and explore how the children fabricated and shared their stories through art and design.

Two children wearing dinosaur costumes play on a large, round nest exhibit. The background features colorful, whimsical dinosaur murals with various patterns and shapes. The scene is vibrant and playful.
A child wears a dragon costume, holding two large plush mushrooms. They stand in a room with a blue carpet and dark walls, adorned with colorful posters featuring cartoon dragons. A padded green seat is nearby.
Two children sit under a whimsical arch with draped fabric, each holding a large red plush toy. The backdrop has colorful graffiti-style art with various cartoonish creatures. They sit on cushioned seats, enjoying their playful setting.
Two children wearing face masks are playing at a pretend market stall. The wooden counter is filled with colorful toy fruits and vegetables. A painted mural of a dragon is visible in the background.
Two children play in a colorful play kitchen. The boy in the foreground wears a brown shirt and a face mask, pretending to cook with toy food. A girl in the background, also masked, plays near a shelf filled with play items. The walls are brightly decorated.
A young child, wearing a colorful shirt and a face mask, plays in a pretend kitchen setting. They are placing a toy lobster on a plate of toy food. Toy condiments and a variety of pretend food items are organized in the background.
Two children in a playroom with colorful decor. The older child is wearing a mask, drawing with a red marker at a table filled with coloring supplies. The younger child watches nearby. The background features playful murals and a cozy tent area.

About the Artists

Magdelena Mora uses her pen to tell stories. Through the medium of picture book art, Magdalena has been a partner in creating titles that transform current events into compelling narratives. Magdalena is a 2019-2020 Loft Literary Center Windows and Mirrors Fellow.

Bart Buch and Seth Eberle are artists and educators who tell stories and engage people through puppetry. Bart became an artist 15 years ago and now works with young people making art, and has been involved in Heart of the Beast and Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts. Seth is an arts educator at Silverwood Park where he teaches at the intersection of the arts and the environment and is involved with Heart of the Beast.