Playful Performances with Story Tapestries: Free Family Event!

Parking. Parking for Riverworks' outdoor events is available just one block away in the lots at the Poolesville Baptist Church and St. Peter's Episcopal Church, thanks to their generosity.

Seating. We have folding chairs available for seating or feel free to bring your own chairs or blankets.

Food and Beverage. We have snacks and beverages (including beer and wine, when appropriate) available for purchase or feel free to bring your own picnic (but please leave your own alcohol at home).

Inclement Weather. We typically determine by 11:00am on the day of an outdoor event whether the event will be moved to an indoor location (typically the Poolesville Baptist Church), postponed, or canceled due to inclement weather. Notification of such a change will be on Facebook, the event page on the webiste, and via email to those who have purchased tickets (or RSVP'd). In the event of cancelation, your ticket purchase will be refunded.

About.

In collaboration with Story Tapestries, Riverworks Art Center invites you to a free children's performance with Arianna Ross on June 18, from 10-11am on Riverworks Outdoor Stage - 17617 W Willard Rd. in Poolesville. These performances are for children ages 2 to fifth grade, but are fun for the whole family!

The Riverworks Playful Performance series (Thursdays, June 18, July 16, and August 20) is made possible by the Maryland State Arts Council.

Story Tapestries:

An accomplished organization in its 16th year in 2026, Story Tapestries has impacted more than 5 million lives through their work.  Story Tapestries custom designs culturally responsive, inclusive programs and products in collaboration with communities. The team is trained to work with all ages and abilities. We support access to workforce development, mental health, quality childcare, strong literacy, numeracy, SEL, STEM programs, and digital training. 

Performer Arianna Ross:

Arianna Ross is a sought-after writer, performer, and educator, as well as the Founder of Story Tapestries. She is considered a leader in arts integration and storytelling. Arianna has a gift for telling stories using her voice and body as a solo artist. Not only do her words knit the fabric of ideas; her body tells the story, the visual images on her fabric create the backdrop for more stories, and the music creates a soundscape from the setting. Arianna uses historical events, folk tales, and true personal stories from members of the community to devise her performance pieces, allowing her to incorporate the voices of audience members, or those they identify with, into the learning process.

Over the years, she has enjoyed seeing the impact of performing for adults and was drawn to developing shows and programs for families and teens. She continued to perform as an artist, however, she found that there is greater impact when she and her team of artists use a combination of performance and workshops to serve the community. Arianna primarily uses Embodied Storytelling to reach students and connect with every type of learner. However, she also draws on her skills as a trained photographer and collage artist as well as a highly-skilled musician, adapting performances and lesson plans to best reach the target audience.

In fact, understanding her audience is a key part of the planning process for Arianna, and she typically meets with a community to observe as well as discuss their needs so she can use the art forms that will best connect with that community. When another art form would be ideal, she calls on her network of expert artists to collaborate with her to make sure program participants get the most out of their experience. Unlike current curricular structures positioning arts instruction as separate from “core” curricula, Arianna’s approach to arts integration engages students in a creative process that uses movement, visual arts and music to develop the individual’s social emotional needs, deepening understanding and comprehension overall.  This method seeds creativity and independent thinking, which helps young people blossom into future leaders. Offerings include professional development workshops, performances, in-depth artist-in-residencies, and other customized programs tailored to meet the needs of a variety of partners and community organizations. Since Story Tapestries' not-for-profit status in 2010, she and her network of artists have reached more than 400,000 children in 1,000 educational institutions through performances and residencies.