Boxes, boxes, everywhere, and even ones to touch! Kids’ art joins an exhibit of professional artists’ works currently in DAI’s Experiencenter. Children’s tiny boxes surround all sides of a large stacked-box display, providing whimsy and color, with a few plastic toys on top for good measure.

Wendy Torrence, of Union, was visiting recently with her daughter, Ellery. The youngster’s favorite box in the children’s Box Collage featured a moon, the stars and a purple planet. She also liked Sandy Skoglund’s installation, “Shimmering Madness.” It features two jellybean-covered dancing mannequins surrounded by walls of fluttering butterflies.

“I could just jump in there and starting eating everything!” she said.

Welcome to “Inside the Box,” where kids can imagine, create, and show. It will be available through March of 2013. Other displays and activity stations Ellery and her mother enjoyed that day include: a Museum in a Box, Story in a Box, Sculpture in a Box, a comfy reading area, a Time Capsule, and Design your own Japanese Picnic Box. DAI is collaborating with guitar man Jim McCutcheon and the Zoot Theatre Company for additional activities in the space this fall.

Come and see the River’s Edge Montessori PreK-8 students’ display. Beverly Carr’s class participated in a fall workshop, and 44 boxes are presented on a back wall. Close by is a Creative Thinking desk with crayons, colored pencils, and stencils for little creations. The Art Place is a permanent partially-enclosed area with brightly colored yellow walls, a mirrored play spot for puppet shows, large puzzles, easels, and an art table.

“Through the summer, Inside the Box has been especially busy, because groups bring their campers here. There are activities where the kids are actually touching things, they’re opening drawers, drawing, and visit The Art Place, which is very popular,” said Alexandra Otte, the youth and family programs coordinator.

Twenty-three professional area artists are presenting their own box creations on the right wall as you walk in. Particularly enjoyable for the kids are: Pam Geisel’s “Inside of a Dog,” Amy Kollar Anderson’s “Hermon’s Place,” and Julie Beyer’s “Ethel.”