Incorporating Art into your Family Time ASK THE ARTSPERTS

Dear Artsperts,
My grandchildren are visiting us this month for their Spring Break. They range in age from kindergarten through high school. My husband and I are wondering how we might use this time to introduce the grandkids to fine art. Do you have any suggestions on how we might make a visit to a gallery or art museum more interesting for the kids?

Sincerely,
Young Gallery Goers

Dear Goers,

Kristine Meek and Juliana Meek

Fine art is a great experience to share with your grandchildren and there are a few tips for making a visit to a gallery or art museum more interesting for them.

1. It’s okay to be picky – Have them pick their favorite and least favorite painting or sculpture at a gallery or art museum and have them take a selfie with the works. Ask them to explain why they love or hate the work.

2. Be a copycat – Pick out a work of art to recreate with the items you have in your home. Dress like and arrange yourselves like the figures in the painting or sculpture. You could turn this into a family game night activity by making it a contest of judging the “entries”.

3. Become the artist – Have the kids recreate a work of art in crayon, color pencil, marker, Play-Doh, watercolor paint, etc.

4. Be a storyteller – Ask your grandkids to come up with a story based on what they see in a particular painting. Chances are they will see something completely different then you.

5. Feel free to judge – Let your grandkids be the jurors. Take them to see an art exhibition and ask them to select first, second, and third place winners from the works hanging.

6. Be sketchy – Bring a sketchbook and pencils with you and let the kids sketch next to a work of art.

7. The hunt is on – Make a scavenger hunt out of visiting an art museum or gallery, have a list of items you want the kids to try to find in the works of art – particular colors, animals, shapes, types of buildings, etc. For older kids you can include information found on the label for the work of art such as medium, artist name, date, size and title.

8. Be the boss – Ask your grandkids to pretend they are the gallery director or museum curator. Ask them: how they would have arranged the exhibition, what works would they
have excluded, what would they have titled the exhibition, and what would they have done differently.

High school student drawing a sketch of her favorite painting at
Harmon-Meek Gallery. Works by
Will Barnet (1911-2012).

Even if your grandchildren are not able to visit you in person this month due to travel or COVID-19 restrictions, you could still do many of these activities by visiting the website of an art gallery or art museum – our website (www.harmonmeek.com) and many others have images of their inventory or permanent collection online for you to view. You could share the experience over a Zoom meeting or a FaceTime call.

Sincerely,

The Artsperts   599 NINTH STREET NORTH SUITE 309 | NAPLES, FL 34102 | 239.261.2637