Big Crankies! Workshop Series 2025

A Baltimore classic returns!

Discover the wonders of crankies* by making a box  into a storytelling machine! Explore the art of crankie making from concept to creation! Get creative, choosing a subject, storyboarding, and playing to your strengths! Experiment with timing and transitions as you learn the ins and outs of this unique art form. Learn about its origins and modern- day renaissance.

This workshop will also feature crankie performances by teachers Katherine Fahey and Dan Van Allen. Come prepared with a simple story or song to base your crankie on. Participants will be given the option to work on paper or purchase Tyvek, and will have the option to commission a crankie box from wood worker Dan Van Allen for only $150.

*Crankies are the original moving pictures; a form of visual performance, involving a cranked scroll of artwork in a box.

Where: Creativity Center, 3137 Eastern Ave. Baltimore MD 21224
When: APR 4 (F), 10 (TH), 17 (TH) | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Age Range: 16+ (with accompanying adult)
Cost: $99 | $91 members
Materials: All supplies provided! Option to buy Tyvek and/or commission a full-size crankie box (contact instructors for details!)

Instructor Bio:

Katherine Fahey, award winning puppeteer, is one of pioneers reviving of the art form of crankies, a form of visual storytelling involving a scroll of artwork in a box. Katherine’s crankies incorporate intricate papercutting, shadow puppetry, singing, and storytelling. They are based on stories and songs as far reaching as legends of northernmost Quebec and the swamps of Louisiana to her hometown streets of Baltimore. Accompanying her will be woodworker, puppeteer, and foley artist Daniel Van Allen. bakerartist.org/portfolios/katherine-fahey