“You are at the museum, now what?”
In-gallery activities for you and your child

You are at the museum, now what?  Make the most of your visit by trying one or more of the following in-gallery activities.  Art museums don’t have to be silent, stuffy places.  Show your children that they can be fun, interactive places of discovery!

1. Detective Work
Ask your child to find a portrait that looks like or reminds her of:
Someone in your family
A friend or neighbor
A famous person
Once she has found a portrait, try to guess who your child was thinking of.  If needed, have your child give you clues.  For example, if she chose Grandpa Smith, a clue could be, “This person likes to play chess with me.”  Switch roles and repeat.

2.  Sketching
Always double check with security before you sketch, but most galleries allow pencils and paper.  It is also a good idea to bring a small clipboard.  If the child is older, encourage him to create a different interpretation of an artwork on display.  Possible interpretations of an artwork could include making it very detailed, abstract, cartoon-like, out of proportion, or adding himself to the his new version of the painting.

3.  Striking a Pose
Without telling your child, select an artwork with a person in it.  Recreate the pose with your body and have your child try to guess which work you are acting like.  Switch roles and repeat.

4.  Say Cheese!
As with sketching, always ask security before taking photos in a museum.  The rules may vary depending on which gallery you are in (even within the same museum), but this can be a fun interactive activity for the technologically-savvy child!  Let her take photos of her favorite artworks to send to family and friends.  The older child may also enjoy taking photos of art from unusual angles to create new masterpieces!

5.  Good old technology
Download mobile apps, interactive maps, and games from the museum’s website to your smartphone or other electronic device.  Podcast audio tours, additional information, and interactive games—not always available in the gallery—can be found online, usually for free!  Check museum brochures for links and information.

6.  Word Strips
Cut out word strips with the following words written on them:  Loud, quiet, pretty, happy, funny, scary.  Find a less-crowded gallery.  Give your child the word strips and have him match each word with a piece of art that he feels best represents the word on the word strip.  Ask him why he chose the works he did.  “What about this work is loud to you?”  Participate in the conversation.  This is a great activity for children learning how to read, but it also teaches how to articulate emotions and defend opinions in a safe environment.  (Based on a suggestion from the Tate Modern.  Other ideas found at http://www.tate.org.uk/families/before/visitingtips.shtm.)

7.  Use your resources
Check-out online teacher resources, usually found under the heading of Education on museum websites, to answer those tricky questions your little one may ask!  Education packets made for teachers often also include additional activities, worksheets, art-making ideas, questions, and helpful background information to make you feel more confident in the gallery.  Don’t worry about having all of the answers, though!  It’s most important to just enjoy your time together.  That is what your child will most remember.

Please feel free to share your own in-gallery activity ideas by commenting at the end of this post.  We would love to hear what you do to teach your child about art.  Happy museum-going!

There isn’t much in the way of family programs the week between Christmas and New Years at the museums, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some family fun.  Here are some great ways to spend time together over the winter break.  Hope you enjoy!

National Gallery of Art

Warhol: Headlines
{Closes January 2}
This exhibit features works based on headlines taken from tabloid news by one of the most important artists of the 20th century, Andy Warhol. If you want some additional information on Warhol, download the NGA’s education resource, Art Since 1950.
Family Twist: Stop by the NGA sculpture garden for lunch.  Look for the crayons and coloring sheet at the cafe and then head out to do some ice skating.

The Renwick Gallery

Something of Splendor: Decorative Arts from the White House
This is a great opportunity for children to explore different forms of art and learn a little about American history.  From service plates to chairs, this show features 95 objects from the White House collection.
Family Twist: Pick a few items from your home to compare with ones in the exhibition.  Take a careful look at your objects and write down some observations, i.e. about their appearance and/or use.  Bring your observations and compare them to similar objects in the exhibit.  Use the exhibit slide show to help you prepare.
After your visit, head over to the White House to see the Christmas tree.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum

Winter Wonderland Tour
Monday, December 26 12-1pm
This public tour is likely geared more towards adults, but you can easily use its content for inspiration.  After viewing these snowy landscapes, bring paper and colored pencils and draw your own winter scene.  There is plenty of seating in the Kogod Courtyard and a small cafe.  A great way to spend a wintery afternoon!

I know. You said you weren’t “creative.” You may not express your creativity through paint and clay, but creativity can take on many forms. It can manifest itself in new marketing strategies, chemistry experiments, the construction of a fence, or your special soup recipe. Whatever your profession or hobby, it is likely that you use some sort of creativity every day. Here are a few ways to facilitate an artistic child without being “artistic” yourself.

1) Be confident in front of your child.
Your child is looking to you for an example. If you want him/her to be confident in trying new things (like art), you need to do the same! If you would like to learn how to speak another language, let your child observe you. Allow him/her to watch you make mistakes. Show your child what it looks like to be resilient in the face of obstacles. Talk with him/her about different solutions to everyday problems. Your child will recognize that learning a new skill takes time and making mistakes is part of the process.

2) Take risks.
Being “artistic” is all about being confident and taking risks. I am not talking about risking health and safety, but I am talking about risking pride. Risk failure with the greater hope of discovering something new! Try adding an unlikely ingredient to a recipe. Wear your favorite sweater with something you have never worn before. Rearrange the furniture in your living room. It may look awful, but it may look great… You’ll never know until you try.

3) Problem-solve with your child.
We all run into unexpected situations everyday that require us to change our course of action. With your child, practice recognizing problems as opportunities for creativity, rather than as obstacles. For example, when you and your child come to a road closed for construction, think of it as a chance to see a new part of your neighborhood. Turn the experience into the exciting discovery of new houses and people. As your child develops problem-solving skills, he/she will become more resilient to frustration in all areas of life and naturally apply them to art-making.

4) Look with your child.
Take the time to look at unfamiliar objects with your child. Talk about what you see. Look at the objects again on multiple occasions and share new observations with each other. Explain to your child that we encounter things everyday that don’t make sense to us at first. It is important for us to visit and revisit whatever it is that we want to understand. Teach your child to spend time looking, analyzing, and drawing upon new information to make sense of something new, whether it is a map of a foreign city or a new toy. This same process can be applied to looking at art. The more we look, the more we understand.

5) Say, “I don’t know. Let’s figure it out together.”
Don’t make up answers to satiate your child’s curiosity. Use your child’s inquisitive nature to springboard a quick Internet search, a trip to the library, or a conversation with someone who can help you! If your child has seen you asking questions to find answers, he/she will be much more likely to do the same! There is no need for your child to feel like they have to figure out the whole art thing alone. Take the opportunity to learn together.

Raising an artistic child when you aren’t artistic doesn’t need to be a daunting task! Even if you aren’t artistic, your can teach your child valuable life skills that will naturally leak into every aspect of his/her life—including art-making. There are many other resources available to help you feel capable in your quest to becoming a fantastic art facilitator. Below I’ve listed a few books that have me most helpful to me. Best of luck!

Suggested Reading

Barbe-Gall, Francoise. How to Talk to Children About Art. London, England: Chicago Review Press, Inc., 2005.

Einon, Dorothy. Creative Child: Recognize and Stimulate Your Child’s Natural Talent. London, England: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd., 2002.

Warner, Sally. Encouraging the Artist in Your Child (Even If You Can’t Draw): 101 Failure-proof home-tested projects for kids age 2-10. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1989.

What do you do when you recognize that your little one is bursting with artistic energy and you can’t even draw a stick figure?  For many parents, this realization can be a bit threatening to their ability to “perfectly” fulfill parental responsibilities.  As the mom or dad, you are supposed to be the one who knows how to do things correctly—right?  Do you fear messing up in front of your child?  Teaching your child incorrect technique?  That’s perfectly normal.  Chances are you are not a professional artist, or an art teacher.  And honestly, you might never become one.  It’s okay.  You are a loving parent who wants to help your child develop and succeed.  That is qualification enough!

Rather than thinking of yourself as a horribly inadequate, art instructor, think of yourself as a fabulous, caring, art facilitator.  As a parent you are in the position to create and recognize opportunities that appeal to your little one’s creativity.  You know your child’s interests and temperament better than anyone else.  Your child needs and wants your support.  As a self-proclaimed “un-artistic” educator, you can bring art into your home by encouraging your child in the following ways.

Encouraging Your Child to Create Art

1) Ask questions.

Don’t assume that you know what your child is drawing.  Ask open-ended questions whenever possible.  “What are you working on?”  “What is going on in your picture?”  With that in mind, younger children may need more leading questions because they may not have the vocabulary to explain themselves.

2) Give honest praise.

Be honest with your children.  You can compliment your child by saying, “I really like how you used the color red!”  It is unnecessary to use phrases like, “That is the most beautiful tree in the world!”  Comments like that can discourage children from experimenting and decrease their motivation to improve. 

3) Be sensitive to your child’s needs.

Feel free to suggest variations on a particular art project to prevent boredom, but be weary of forcing your child to work for a specific amount of time.  Young children need to develop positive associations with doing art.  Art-making at a young age should be connected with words like relaxation, confidence, fun, and discovery.  As the child gets older, encourage goal-setting to increase his/her ability to concentrate on and follow-through with projects.

4) Talk about art together.

Secret:  Most people who give tours at art museums aren’t artists.  They just know how to ask the right questions.  Use the following questions to talk about practically any piece of art with your child. (Note:  To avoid potentially offensive misinterpretations, take caution when using open-ended questions with religious art.) No art history background required!

• What do you think it is made of?
• What do you see….What else do you see? Why do you think that is a …..?
• How do you think it would feel?
• How do you think that person is feeling, what do you think they are thinking?
• How do the colors in it make you feel?
• Does it look real or does it look made-up?
• How do you think it might have been used?
• Do you like it?  Why?  Why not?
• Who else do you think would like this piece?
• Where in your house would you put this piece?

5) Do art with your child.

Create Rotating Themed Art Centers

Set up a designated art area or center where your child can work on creative projects.  Create weekly or monthly art “units” for your child that use different art materials.  For example, a unit on painting might be broken up into three weeks, as shown below:

Painting

Week 1:  Finger paints

Week 2:  Tempera (washable)

Week 3:  Watercolors

The idea is to let your child fully explore a specific medium before moving onto something else.  When your child is ready for a change, introduce a different kind of paper, or an unusual tool to paint with (like a sponge or Q-tip). It is fun for children to see how differently watercolors work on different surfaces.  Try watercolor paper, computer paper, and cardboard to see various results.  Comparing and contrasting the different materials can also be an exciting, educational experience in itself.  Don’t be afraid to bring back “units” from previous weeks.  Familiarity can be nice, too.

6)  Look at art for inspiration.

Print-off an image of a famous (or not-so-famous) art piece.   Hang it in your child’s art center area.  Rotate the image(s) to correspond with your weekly art “units” or keep them up as long as your child is interested in it.  Learning about other artists will inspire creativity and confidence as your child creates his/her own masterpiece!

7) Enjoy the art-making process!

Most children are just as interested in the process of making art as they are in the finished product—if not more so.  Let your child take his/her time completing the art activity.  No time doing art is ever wasted, even if all your child did was cut the paper into tiny pieces!  Activities like cutting, pasting, and tracing, will help your child develop fine motor skills.  Be patient as your little one learns to manipulate small objects for a collage or hold a pencil correctly.

It’s been said before, but it bears repeating, art is crucial to your child’s education. Educators increasingly tout the importance of creativity and acknowledge that art encourages analytical thinking and problem solving. It can further be used to teach concepts from a variety of disciplines. Finally and perhaps most importantly, art is a vehicle through which our children can express themselves.

The benefits of making art can also be applied to learning about art. The idea of teaching art history to children might seem to some, boring and to others, daunting. After all, who really cares about Chola bronzes or Mannerist paintings? The truth is, we can learn a lot from both. The cultural, artistic and historical components underlying an artwork can introduce children to new perspectives and ideas. Educators and parents alike, however, grapple with teaching art history, either because they find it difficult to understand themselves or, because they struggle with translating these themes into fun and accessible experiences.

Go to almost any museum website and look under the “education” heading and you are likely to get more than you bargained for. A world of resources, at your fingertips, built to teach art history.

The National Gallery of Art (NGA) boasts one of the largest and most prestigious collections in DC. Likewise, its educational programs are innovative and comprehensive. The NGA website has a page devoted to homeschoolers that features a resource finder, which allows you to search for materials by curriculum, topics or artists. These materials feature online interactive guides, printable guides and exhibition resources. Most impressive are the interactive guides that contain lesson plans, activities, printable worksheets, bios and glossaries. Printable learning resources like, Painting in the Dutch Golden Age: A Profile of the Seventeenth Century, are bountiful and provide enough information for you to construct long-term learning experiences.

The Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (FSG) house both Asian and American art. Like the NGA, they offer a wide variety of printable materials including exhibition guides and a teacher newsletter entitled, Asian Art Connections, which features material centered on exhibitions. Their teacher guides focus on more generalized topics such as the art of Buddhism, Japan and the Islamic world and are written in a clear and culturally sensitive manner. The guides consist of lessons, glossaries and community connections. The FSG also hosts an interactive resource that examines the Shiva Nataraja and includes sections on history, contemporary importance and its relationship to dance.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is unique in that it offers videoconferencing. What a great way to reach out to those who can’t make it to the museum! These video tours feature three series; Looking at Art, Learning History and Celebrating Heritage, each of which includes activities and teacher’s guides. Looking at Art focuses on building visual literacy and artistic methods and materials, something particularly helpful to students who are unfamiliar with museums and art.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the museums in DC and beyond offer online educational tools that can help any homeschool parent tap their resources. Go exploring, I know you won’t be disappointed!!!

It has been just over a year since I launched Art Within Reach and I have learned a lot about teaching, managing a classroom, and art activities.  So, I thought it would be fun to do a top 10 list of my best teaching moments!

#10

Joan Miró’s The Farm

The National Gallery of Art houses this signature Miró painting from 1921.  On one hand, it offers a visual vocabulary of objects familiar to children and on the other hand, a composition and formal elements that easily engage a child’s imagination.  The central tree, in and of itself, is almost always a point of conversation.  Similarly, the children often debate whether it is a sun or a moon that is depicted in the sky.  I use this painting for my introductory lesson where we familiarize ourselves with looking at art.  I was sad to see the NGA had taken it down, but thankfully replaced it with an equally appealing Picasso.

#9

The Camera

My dilemma came during a lesson on still life.  I wanted the children to draw their own still life while considering elements like texture and light, perhaps a little too sophisticated for a four-year-old.  However, they were quite capable of making their own still life arrangements with objects that I brought in.  After considering the layout of their still life, I would then photograph them.  They used the photographs to help them draw their arrangements.  I found the same thing worked in my lesson on portraiture.  When I asked them to draw a self-portrait, I most often got depictions of their faces and while I knew they weren’t necessarily ready to compose a more sophisticated drawing, I did know they were capable of considering how they would pose for a photograph.  Before taking each child’s picture, we discussed pose, expression, angle and background.  Marrying the drawing with the photograph turned out to be a winning combination.

#8

The Portfolio and Exhibition

Part of AWR’s mission is to teach children about museums.  At the end of each session, students are tasked with making labels and helping me to display their artwork for an art show, in which parents were invited and students described their work.  Remaining works were placed in their portfolio, which they make the first day of class.  By doing all of this they gain an understanding of a museum’s purpose and how to properly care for, and respect art.

#7

Wiggle Worms

I found this great little rhyme on the Preschool Express website to do before lessons.  It gets everyone’s wiggles out and prepares them to sit quietly for their lesson.  The Wiggle Worms is a hit with the 3-5 year-old crowd, 6 and up are a little dubious….

#6

Art Detective Badges

Before I launched AWR, I had a friend design some badges mostly as a means for me to remember the names of my students.  Students earn their badges after our first class when we discuss what a museum is and practice looking at a painting.  In the museum, I pass them out at the beginning of each class  while reminding them that good detectives always use their museum manners.  In the classroom, decorating the badges is the introductory activity allowing time for students to arrive.    It works on so many levels!

#5

Islamic Calligraphy and Faux Gold Leaf

I do a whole lesson on art from the Islamic world and I struggled because I wanted a project that captured the essence of the art, but didn’t crossover into religious territory.  I was thrilled when I found the Arabic alphabet on-line through Stanford University.  I now have students practice making one of the letters and then lay down glue in the form of the letter.  Once the glue is down, they are able to sprinkle blue and gold glitter, as well as faux gold leaf to mimic the gold and lapis lazuli commonly found in copies of the Koran.  I also found a great site where you can print up some of the geometric shapes also commonly used in the decoration of a Koran.  In this way, they are learning about the formal elements of the Koran and they love the gold leaf!!!!

#4

Jesús Rafeal Soto

This Venezuelan artist is featured at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden whose works often use repeated patterns of simple geometric forms to suggest movement.  His works  illustrate how artists use lines, shapes and patterns to bring an artwork to life and engage the viewer.  During my last visit, I learned that  the Hirshhorn took down Eight Silver, but you can go to his website to experience his works.

#3

Genre and the Time Machine

How do I make genre painting appeal to my young students?  We travel back in time on our time machine to meet Sam and learn a little about his life.  Through three paintings, Eastman Johnson’s The Brown Family, On Their Way to Camp and The Early Scholar , we meet Sam and/or his relatives and talk about these brief moments in Sam’s life and how they are similar to and different from the lives of children today.  For a follow-up activity, we draw pictures of dinnertime at our houses.  It never fails that they always remember Sam and our ride on the time machine!

#2

Pollock, Matisse and Brushstroke

Even in the galleries (we use paintbrushes and swatches of color construction paper to represent the paint), I am able to show students examples of brushstroke.  Matisse’s Open Window, Collioure is especially accessible to a young artist who can easily replicate his dots and short strokes.  And of course, Pollock’s innovative approach to painting where he often dripped, poured and splashed is especially appealing to children.  While it can be messy, practicing Pollock’s methods is an exercise in creativity!

#1

Giacomo Balla’s Sculptural Construction of Noise and Speed

Giacomo Balla’s Sculptural Construction of Noise and Speed is another work that I use in my lesson on lines and shapes. It is, as the title suggests, a fluid visualization  of noise and speed.  At first, I asked the students to associate certain words with the piece, like; fast, slow, quiet, loud, but that didn’t seem to work with this age group.  That is when I began asking them to use their bodies to recreate the lines depicted and we talked about how the movement felt.  I also have them move their arms out to represent a loud sound and in to represent a soft sound. The in and out movement of their bodies corresponds to the undulation in the piece and upholds the relationship to sound.

I hope you have enjoyed my best teaching moments, can’t wait for next year!

I am so happy to have had the opportunity to speak with friend and fellow mom, Erin Vogel (her daughter is three).  Dr. Vogel is currently a research scientist at the Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology at The George Washington University.  Sadly (for me, at least), she is leaving the D.C. area to take a position as an assistant professor at Rutgers University.

AWR:
What is your earliest memory and what is your most significant memory of a museum or work of art?
Dr. Vogel:
When I was young, my uncle made candles, really beautiful, intricate candles. I used  to love watching them all burn at night and all of the colors he used and patterns.

AWR:
Were you encouraged to make art at home as a child?
Dr. Vogel:
Yes, I was. We did a lot of arts and crafts as children in my house: drawing, painting, and clay. I took my first pottery class at the YMCA when I was probably 4 or 5.

AWR:
Did you visit art museums with your family?
Dr. Vogel:
Yes, we lived outside of NYC and went to museums quite often. I remember enjoying it but not nearly as much as my sister, I was at times bored when I was younger.

AWR:
Did you visit art museums with your schools?  If so, do you recall whether your teachers used the field trips to create a meaningful learning experience?
Dr. Vogel:
I do not remember if we went to art museums with our school but I do not think we did.

AWR:
How have these experiences shaped your interest in the visual arts as an adult?
Dr. Vogel:
I admit I am not the most artistic person in the world, but I did a lot of pottery in college and really loved working on the wheel. I also like to paint, although I am not very good at it in the traditional sense. I find museums peaceful and enjoy going to museums to look at exhibits and I also like learning about different styles and artist. My sister is an amazing artist and I have always loved to go to museums with her so she can give me the history of the different paintings. I would say my early experiences with art and museums at least gave me an appreciation for art.

AWR:
Do you wish you had more exposure to the visual arts as a child and if so, why?
Dr. Vogel:
Not really, my parents did a good job introducing us to art, music, etc. Even in all of the schools I went to we always had art class. I find it depressing that so many schools are cutting art programs from the curriculum; I think art really helps kids express themselves.

AWR:
Were there other artistic disciplines, i.e. music or theater,that interested you as a child? If so, please share one memorable childhood moment related to that discipline.
Dr. Vogel:
We went to Broadway musicals a lot growing up. I loved going to plays in the city, and the musicals where the best. We would always buy the album and sing to it over and over. My most memorable Broadway show’s were Annie and Peter Pan, and I knew both albums by heart!

AWR:
Do you think the arts improved your educational experience?  (i.e. did you ever feel as a child that the arts helped you understand your lessons better?
Dr. Vogel:
Definitely, having art in my educational background, even at just the class level, allowed me to use my mind in different ways during the day, which is very important.

AWR:
Did you ever feel that art was an creative outlet, something that broke the monotony of the classroom?)
Dr. Vogel:
Certainly, having art allowed us not to really have to listen completed to just words coming out of a teacher’s mouth but allowed us as students to express ourselves.

AWR:
Do you think that art education (visual and otherwise) is important in creating a competent work force that can compete in a global economy?
Dr. Vogel:
I do. Art is part of education. I am always embarrassed about how little I know about art history compared to my international colleagues. Even as a biologist, my colleagues in graduate school knew so much about art history, making them well rounded and not just focused on science. I think having a good knowledge of history and art would certainly make people worldlier and hence more competitive in a global economy.

My daugther's drawing of the orangutans

AWR:
It never fails; I always unearth something that I hadn’t thought about with these interviews.  Dr. Vogel’s remarks about her European colleagues having a better understanding of art and art history really struck a chord with me.  It reminds me of a piece I heard some time back on NPR about French preschools.  The gist was that there were state funded preschools where children were provided with a safe, nurturing environment that introduced them to new experiences, thus forming a foundation for a well-rounded adult.  It goes back to the idea of holistic education and makes me think that scientists would only get better if they had more art and artists would only get better if they had more science. It’s all too often an either/or situation.

I couldn’t help but include the photo, above, my daughter drew after a visit to the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum when we went to see the movie,  Born to be Wild.  Part of the movie featured orphaned orangutans and provided information about their habitat and lifestyle.  In the picture, she synthesizes that information and visually records the orangutan, it’s environment, diet and movement.  She was extremely proud of the picture and kept it safely away from her little sister for over three weeks until she presented it to Ms. Erin (a.k.a Dr. Vogel).  Her drawing is less an expression  of her own imagination and more an opportunity to present new information that she had learned and about which she was clearly excited.  As a parent, I was thrilled to see her combine two of her interests so seamlessly.

Family Summer Fun at the Museums

While by no means a complete list of museum-related family events in the DC area, this should give you a feel for what is happening.  I hope you can pencil in one or two of these events and take advantage of what our city’s museums have to offer.

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art offers some of the most robust programming for children in the DC metro area.  You should by all means take advantage of their unique offerings, but keep in mind that they are popular and you might want to arrive early to secure a spot.
Stories in Art: Summer Story Series: Discover Dutch Art
Ages 4-7
July 10 – August 9 (see website for specific dates and times)
Free
Sign-in – West Building Rotunda, 10am on weekdays and 11am on Sundays
A series of four 60-minute programs featuring Dutch art.  Each session includes a story, discussion of one artwork and a hands-on activity.

Artful Conversations Summer Series
Ages 8-11
Free
July 17- August 10 (see website for specific dates and times)
Sign-in – West Building Rotunda 12pm on Wednesdays, 12:30pm on Sundays
A series of four programs that designed specifically for children to work together with an adult.  Each class asks students to closely observe one work of art and a then create a  drawing inspired by it.

Children’s Films @ NGA
Sweet Tweets
Ages 4 and up
Free
July 16 and 20, 10:30am and July 17, 11:30am
Azur and Asmar
Ages 6 and up
Free
August 6 and 10, 10:30am and July 7, 11:30am

National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery shares a space with the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum in the heart of the 7^th Street corridor. The Gallery’s collection is a great opportunity for children to learn about art and history by meeting pivotal figures in the American history.  If you haven’t yet, you must visit the famous “Lansdowne” portrait of George Washington.  That, in and of itself, is worth the visit and the NPG has a great website dedicated to the painting where you can find good information and fun games for the kids.

The museum is also hosting the exhibition, Calder’s Portraits, A New Language.  Calder’s wire shaped portraits will no doubt captivate your little ones and encourage them to think creatively.  Calder’s works are also located at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (on the third level) and the National Gallery of Art, East Building.  If you have the time, plan to make a few visits downtown to see a range of his work.

Portrait Discovery Kit Activity
Ages 5 and up
Free
Repeats most Saturdays and Sundays in June from 1-4pm and most Sundays in July from 2-5pm
If you are looking something more structured to do at the Portrait Gallery, they are offering a self-guided, interactive “discovery kit” that families can borrow from the education center.  This is a nice way to explore the museum as a family unit.

Nationals Baseball Family Day
All-ages
Free
Saturday, July 9
The fifth annual baseball family day features activities, crafts and musical performances.  Washington Nationals players will be available for pictures from 12-1pm.  Presented in conjunction with the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Washington Nationals Baseball Club.

Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is one of my favorites in terms of its family offerings and it doesn’t disappoint this summer.  The Great American Hall of Wonders, opening July 15, celebrates the nineteenth-century belief that Americans, as a whole, were gifted innovators. The exhibition includes paintings from renowned American painters as well as sculptures, prints, survey photographs, zoological and botanical illustrations, patent models and engineering diagrams.  In other words, there is something for everyone.

Art-stronaut Family Day
All Ages
Free
August 13 11:30am-3pm
This family day features American innovations in science and technology from the exhibition, The Great American Hall of Wonders.  There will be experiments, art activities, a scavenger hunt and a chance to meet a NASA astronaut.

PHEON
June 12, July 16 and August 14 2:30-6pm
Do you have some tech savvy kids on your hands? This multimedia scavenger hunt is staged in the Museums’ Luce Foundation Center, which houses thirty-five hundred paintings, sculptures, miniatures and craft and folk pieces.

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National of Museum of Asian art is housed in two connecting buildings just behind the Smithsonian Castle.  Located on the 1^st level of the Sackler is the beautiful and serene, Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan, on view now until July 31.  It is worth seeing not only for the sixth-century Chinese Buddhist sculpture, but for its video installation that recreates one of the stone temples.  This small exhibition will offer an easy space for you to navigate with your family and the kids are certain to enjoy the video installation.  For my children, the the monumental hands of the Buddha were probably the most interesting feature.  Besides being able to enjoy the accompanying family programs, listed below, you may also want to take peak at the Museum’s on-line guide, The Art of Buddhism: A Teacher’s Guide .  This guide offers easily understandable information about Buddhism, the visual image of the Buddha, as well as the meaning of several mudras or hand gestures found in Buddhist art, information which is easily applied to this exhibition

ImaginAsia: Echoes of the Past
Ages 8-14 with adult companion
Free
June 18, 19 and 25 and July 26, 2pm
ImaginAsia, the Freer and Sackler’s signature family program, offers a child-friendly guide featuring the Echoes of the Past exhibition and other Buddhist art.  Then families head over to the classroom where they piece together fragments of sculptures and wall reliefs becoming expert archaeologists and restorers.

ImaginAsia: Shanghai Kunju Troupe
All ages with adult companion
Free
June 21 and 22, 2pm
While not related to the Echoes of the Past exhibition, children are sure to enjoy this up close at Chinese opera, its costumes and staging.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is also offering free admission this summer as well as some great family programs.  Beginning June 18, they are showcasing the work of Chris Martin (originally from D.C.) in a three-part exhibition.  His works are large, colorful and dynamic and will undoubtedly appeal to a child’s aesthetic.  While you are there to see the Martin’s work take advantage of some these great family programs:

Edible Color Wheel
Ages 4-12
Free, no pre-registration
July 9, 10:30am-2pm
August 6, 10:30am-2pm
Prepare to get a little messy when your kids get their hands on icing and explore primary and secondary colors.

Painting: It’s Personal
Ages 8-12
$8-$10, Registration Required
July 16, 10:30am
Tour NOW: Chris Martin and create your own painting that incorporates found objects and personal mementos.

Light, Color and Paint, Oh My!
Ages 5-7
$8-$10, Pre-registration is required
August 20, 10:30am-12pm
Tour the Washington Color and Light exhibition and create your own masterpiece using the painting techniques highlighted in the exhibition.

**For the most accurate and current information, please check directly with the museum’s website.

Being a kindergarten teacher, I have found art to be one of the most important and influential resources I use within my classroom. I use art within my instruction across all subject areas. In addition, I use art in my classroom to allow students to express their feelings in a variety of ways and to give students time to have fun and use their imagination. I find it upsetting to see the usage of art within elementary classrooms decreasing every year due to the strict curriculum teachers are required to follow. Teachers feel there is “no time” to include art in daily instruction because of needs and benchmarks that are to be met in other subjects. I have made it my goal as an early childhood educator to expose my students to art in every aspect of my teaching in order for them to grow as creative learners.

Being that children are exposed to a much more vigorous curriculum than in the past, the demands for student success have increased greatly and have left teachers with the feeling of “not enough time”. I have heard many co-workers complain of the small amount of time allotted for students to actually have fun in school. I have a different perspective, however, and choose to integrate art within every subject to make instruction more interesting and fun. After all, studies show that exposure to the arts promotes activity in the brain, as well as engages students.

There are many benefits to using art within the kindergarten classroom. In the beginning of the year, many kindergartners are in the pre-writing or developmental levels of writing and they are unable to express their feelings clearly through writing alone. By allowing students to draw their ideas , I am not only differentiating instruction but providing students with a variety of options to express their emotions and be creative. In addition, many children are visual learners and using art within my teaching practices will allow children to better understand material. Art stimulates both sides of the brain and promotes learning.

I believe it is important to not only expose students to art in the classroom, but to integrate art throughout all subject areas. When art is integrated with the other subjects in the curriculum, students are more engaged in the learning process, which helps children understand other subjects much more clearly. In addition to integrating art within all subject areas, I also have a separate art center for students to go to during their learning centers time. Our classroom art center is a place where  students are able to use their imagination and express their emotions while experiencing a large variety of art supplies.

Overall, I find art to be one of the most influential and important resources I use within my classroom. Allowing students to express themselves through art is an engaging and stimulating way for them to show their understanding of material, it is a way to stimulate their brains, and it helps students develop hand and eye coordination. Additionally, art promotes self-esteem with many of my students. Students are always proud of their work and they enjoy sharing and reflecting on their work. Asking open-ended questions about their work allows students to use oral language to describe their work as well as feel a sense of accomplishment for their creation. Without art in the classroom, children are missing out on being able to demonstrate their creativity and imagination.

This is the third in a series of interviews featuring members of the DC community.  These conversations will provide a personal perspective on art and childhood.  It will illuminate the unique and important role art has in shaping our memories and cultivating our interests.  This interview features Lee Glazer, Curator of American Art at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Art Within Reach {AWR}
What is your earliest memory of a museum or work of art?
Dr. Glazer
The Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi at the NGA (National Gallery of Art). My grandparents lived on Capitol Hill, and my grandfather, an attorney by training, became a freelance tour guide after his retirement. He would drive us down to the “Mellon Building,” as he called the NGA, and wait outside in his car while my mother and I looked around the museum. Typically, he would sell his parking space to anyone willing to pay, and then we would find him double-parked out front.

AWR:
Were museum visits and/or exposure to art an important part of your upbringing?
Dr. Glazer:
Yes, but not in a formal or organized way. It was just something that we did occasionally, not a big deal or made to be boringly educational.

AWR:
In other words, did you visit museums a lot as a child?  Did you make a lot of art at home?  Were you exposed to art/museum experiences at school?
Dr. Glazer:
Not a lot of art-making at my well-funded public schools. Most of the art budget must have been reserved for music, because there was a dedicated music teacher, but never an art teacher until junior high.

AWR:
How do you feel your childhood experiences with art and museums impacted your decision to become a curator?  How have these experiences helped in different aspects of your career?
Dr. Glazer:
Although the memory of that painting is vivid, I wouldn’t say that it influenced my career path. That happened in college, as the result of my first art history survey.

AWR:
Do think exposure to art and museums at an early age can have a lasting impact on children and if so, how?
Dr. Glazer:
Exposure to art and museums is important – but I wouldn’t necessarily link it up to future career paths. It’s part of understanding a common cultural heritage and therefore deeply humanizing; it’s fun; it’s great to see that art is valued by society and over the course of time – that it is in big, beautiful buildings and carefully tended. Art-making is also important – for somewhat different reasons, I think. It’s just satisfying to make things, and more satisfying if you have a certain level of mastery with materials, the possible modes of expression. Visiting museums can help expand kids’ horizons in terms of what kinds of artistic languages are possible. My own kids have taken a couple of drawing and painting classes outside of school, and the best teachers do always bring in reproductions of works that they’ve gathered from museum collections – as sources of inspiration, etc.

AWR:
Like Dr. Glazer, my career choices were influenced by people and events that occurred during high school and college.  She makes a point of more casual and informal encounters with art in her youth, which is extremely valuable.  The more teaching I do with young students in the museum environment, the more I understand the importance not making it, as Dr. Glazer puts it, ”a big deal or made to be boringly educational.”

In fact, it is a mistake to make children’s early experiences too structured (with one caveat, early childhood classes must include routine and consistency so kids know what to expect and what is expected of them).  The class framework needs to be constructed in a fun and appealing way, lots of high fives and making sure our “looking eyes” and “listening ears” are properly in place.  Once that is done, I like to listen and respond to individual observations.  The children often take a conversation somewhere other than where I intended and I try to avoid forcing them back on point.  The lesson objectives ultimately take second place to their engagement in the artwork.  After all, I don’t want them to see the museum as a stuffy place where there are rigid rules, rather a place with infinite possibilities.