ML Interest Tag: exhibition

Think on This: An Exhibit on Learning Where Kids Can Play

by Anna Knoebel

Our kids’ schedules are so packed with after school, weekend and school break educational opportunities (now your 3 year old can learn to sew or make movies with a simple class), it’s easy to forget learning doesn’t start and stop, as long as our kids love to learn. A new and free exhibit, “The Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children,” which opened on Jan. 15, aims to demonstrate how early childhood education, specifically the Reggio Emilia approach, can produce life-long learners, and delivers some wondrous playtime besides. Read on to discover why your kids will love the interactive exhibit, too.

What is the Exhibit All About?

If you’ve been through the preschool admissions process, chances are you’ve encountered the Reggio Emilia philosophy, but did you know Reggio Emilia is actually a place in Italy? The Wonder of Learning is a 7,000 square foot exhibition hosted by Williamsburg Northside School, presented by Teaching Beyond the Square, New York City Encounters with Reggio Emilia, and Beginnings Nursery School, in collaboration with Reggio Children and North America Reggio Emilia Alliance. It demonstrates how children think and collaborate by showcasing the work of children and teachers from Reggio Emilia, where the eponymous educational approach has been practiced in early childhood since the end of World War II.

What’s In It for the Kids?

While the Wonder of Learning is an excellent source of information for educators and parents (schools can schedule private tours on the WOL website), it stands to reason an exhibit about kids should offer something for kids. To that end, two ateliers – a Natural Materials Studio (7th Fl.) and a Light Studio (6th Fl.) – are set up in brightly lit and peaceful  rooms alongside the exhibit. In the Natural Materials Studio, kids will create projects using materials like acorn tops, bark and dried flowers. In the Light Studio (which is open to the public on weekends), kids will manipulate objects with light projectors, and observe light as it hits reflective, transparent and opaque materials around the studio.

Why Your Kids Will Want to Come Back

Studio facilitators will be on hand to guide you through projects that you’ll create with your child, so if you’re thinking this could be an incredible alternative to your favorite indoor play space, you’re right. The ateliers will offer new experiences every couple of weeks. Come back again and again.

If you need to pick one day to visit, go on Apr. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when WOL will host a Materials Day. Think of the outdoor event, also free and open to the public, as a giant version of the ateliers, where visitors can interact with and experience found materials in the open air. With any luck, the weather will be beautiful, so stay all day, basking in sunshine while you design a found object costume, create a collaborative plastic bottle cap mandala, or crawl through a cardboard city. Musicians will also be performing and helping visitors engage with sound-making materials.

“The Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children”
When: Jan. 15 – May 15, Wed.–Sun., 12-6 p.m., & until 8 p.m. on Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 2, & May 7
Natural Materials Studio open during exhibition hours. Light Studio only open weekends.
Tickets: Free
Where: Williamsburg Northside School
299 North 7th St., enter on Meeker, btw. N 7th and N 8th
Brooklyn
Online: newyorkcitywol.org

Have you visited this exhibit? Tell us what you think.

--Anna Knoebel
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Culture Club: A New Program For Exploring Art with Kids

by Yuliya Geikhman

You know New York is home to some of the best art in the world, from old masters to the most contemporary cutting-edge works. You also know you’d love to introduce your kid to all the NYC art scene has to offer — the problem is, how?  Mismatched Socks, a new program devoted to bringing the city’s rich art offerings and families together in myriad and sometimes unconventional ways, is here to help.

 photo: Mismatched Socks NY

The Big Picture

Founded by the two-woman team of Asya Gribov and Sasha Dashevsky, Mismatched Socks is dedicated to helping families discover and enjoy New York City’s vast art offerings of all types and mediums. The pair bring backgrounds in education and teaching, psychology, and event organizing to the venture.

The company conducts events such as catered tours of museum exhibits, excursions to parks and art installations, and even the occasional puppet show.  In addition to providing insight during these outings, Gribov and Dashevsky also aim to provide parents with the tools they need to help young ones see art in every day surroundings as well.

Outings typically last about an hour or two and each tour is concluded with an invitation to continue exploring on your own. Attendees are given a postcard with information on nearby things to check out, places to see, and shops to peruse.

Beyond Bright Colors and Shapes

MisMatched Socks’ founders believe that art doesn’t have to be dubbed “kid-friendly” for little ones to like it and learn from it, which is why the program’s exhibit or tour choices don’t necessarily scream, “the child will flip for this.” For example, one upcoming outing will visit the Guggenheim’s ZERO Countdown to Tomorrow exhibition, which is not noted for lots of bright colors and moving shapes. For the most part it’s black, white, and gray, and might be overlooked as something kids will enjoy, but the Mismatched Socks team uses it as an opportunity to explore abstract concepts in a fun way for both kids and adults.

The group has also toured the galleries of Chelsea and ventured into Alphabet City’s sculpture garden — events that will both be part of the Spring and Summer 2015 schedule.

photo: MisMatched Socks NY

Finding Art Everywhere

Tours are not limited to museums and galleries — just about anything turns into an art exhibit at the hands of Mismatched Socks. One outing leads little adventurers on a sound scavenger hunt of Grand Central Station, while another finds kids climbing the hands-on Light Over Time exhibition at Metro Tech Commons in Brooklyn.

The program also offers classes and workshops that tap into everyone’s little inner artist (yes, even the parents’). Upcoming class topics include learning how to wrap gifts with magnets, discovering the process that goes into making pottery, and creating electric art.

photo: Mismatched Socks NY

Future plans

In addition to more cultural excursions and experiences in the coming months,  Mismatched Socks will hold several Russian-speaking events which will focus on developing Russian language skills while still exploring the art around us. The founders plan to eventually branch out to other languages including ASL.  An Art Series program, which will run for several weeks (as opposed to a one-off tour) is also in the works.

For the latest scoop on Mismatched Socks happenings, head to the program’s website or Facebook page.

Mismatched Socks NY
347-740-2246 Asya
646- 404-1460 Sasha
Online: mismatchedsocksny.com

How do you introduce your kid to art around New York City? Tell us in the comments below!

—Yuliya Geikhman

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Now Playing: A Hollywood Costume Exhibit That Dazzles

by Jennifer O'Brien

photo credit: Jennifer O’Brien

Calling all movie lovers big and small!  The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures isn’t scheduled to open until 2017, but they’re whetting our appetites right now with the brand new Hollywood Costume exhibition. Featuring 150 incredible costumes from some of the most beloved films of all time, this exhibit highlights everything from Superman’s tights to Dorothy’s slippers and thrills visitors both young and young-at-heart from start to finish.

Must-Sees for Mini Movie Fans
You’ll definitely want to take your time touring this exhibition. With endless iconic costumes to take in, script excerpts that illustrate the importance of costume to story, and fascinating interviews with costume designers and filmmakers, there’s an overwhelming amount to see and read. Our advice – come with kiddos that are well fed and well rested who will wanna hang for a while. Tots will go ba-nan-as over the opportunity to get up close and personal with uber cool frocks and duds from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Superman, The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi, Spider-Man, X-Men, Mary Poppins, The Dark Knight Rises, Iron Man, Pirates of The Carribean, Captain America, Harry Potter, Addams Family Values, 102 Dalmations and Dorothy’s infamous ruby slippers from the The Wizard of Oz.

There are also some funtastic animations from The Smurfs and Shrek that tykes will dig as well. All in all, it will take families around 75 minutes to get through.  (If you’re a costume or movie fanatic, come with friends or family and take turns coming back for more while the kids play at the tar pits or under the Levitated Mass!)

photo credit: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Helpful Hints
Because we want your brood to make the most of their visit, here are a few important tips to help things run smoother from the get-go. Strollers are not permitted inside the exhibition, but designated parking is available near the front entrance. Hopefully, you have littles who don’t mind walking (or you have extremely strong arms).

Bags must be checked with the Academy staff, so you may want to bring a diaper or two on your person for any potty emergencies (we all know they happen). Speaking of which, the ever important restroom is located directly to your left once you get inside.

You’re welcome to shoot pics of your future Academy Award winners next to the giant Oscar featured on the red carpet outside. At the beginning of the exhibit, a gleaming window display of Academy gold provides a fabulous photo op as well. Beyond that point, photos are not allowed. Also, it’s pretty dark inside the exhibition, so it may take peepers a few minutes to adjust.

 

photo credit: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Facts and Figures
Tickets: Tickets are timed entry, valid for a specific admission date and time. Advanced tickets are available online and are highly recommended due to the overwhelming popularity of this exhibition. Adults are $20 and children under 13 are $10.

Dates: Exhibition runs October 2, 2014 – March 2, 2015.

Hours: Mon., Tues., and Thurs. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and closed Wed.

Parking: Visitors may park in the Pritzker Parking Garage located on 6th St. east of Fairfax Ave. or in the lot at Spaulding Ave. and Wilshire Blvd for $12/day. Metered street parking is also available.

Wilshire May Company Building
6067 Wilshire Blvd. (corner of Fairfax Ave.)
Miracle Mile
Phone: 310-247-3049
Online: oscars.org/hollywoodcostume


What were your family’s fave parts of the Hollywood Costume exhibition? We’d love to know!

–Jennifer O’Brien

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NYC’s Newest Kid-Friendly Art Exhibits: Doll Dioramas, LEGOs & More

by Alice Perry

If the gray winter slush and sludge have left you saying, “Ewww,” every time you go outside, fear not.  A surefire way to inject some color and fun back into your family’s life is to check out one of the many new kid-friendly museum exhibits around the city. From graffiti art to Italian Futurism, these seven exhibits will leave you pumped and ready for the springtime.

“City as Canvas” at Museum of the City of New York

The Art: Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that graffiti is an art form. And the Museum of the City of New York wholeheartedly agrees. “City as Canvas” relives those days back in the ’70s and ’80s when renegade artists like Lee Quiñones and Keith Haring spray painted any public space available with curlicue tags and cartoon images.

Fun with Kids: Kids will love the bold, in-your-face colors and the contagious energy of the art work. Some upcoming family programs include designing your own tag in a flipbook and helping to create a large-scale mural at the museum.

Insider Tip: Sure, you don’t want to encourage your kids to deface public property, but most of the artworks here are canvas paintings and sketchbooks -- not subway doors (although there are plenty of photos documenting them).

Museum of City of New York
1220 Fifth Ave., Upper East Side
Phone: 212-534-1672
Exhibition Dates: Now to Aug. 24, 2014
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Cost: Suggested admission: $10/adults, free for kids under 12.

Image courtesy of Alice Perry

Tell us about the last art exhibit you saw with your family in a comment.

-Alice Perry

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Inside the Totally Awesome Lawrence Hall of Science with Gretchen Walker

by writerredtri

We’re big fans of any place that takes on the challenge of making science fun and accessible for our kiddos and The Lawrence Hall of Science goes above and beyond. With hands-on educational activities, thoughtfully-tailored exhibits, and more, The Lawrence Hall of Science provides programs that engage all students in science across learning environments. This fantastic Berkeley resource was your Totally Awesome pick for best kid-friendly museum in the Bay Area, and we can see why. Gretchen Walker, Director of the Public Science Center, recently took the time to chat with us about what makes The Lawrence Hall of Science special, how she got involved, and more. Read on:

Red Tricycle: Congratulations on being voted “Most Awesome” by your community! What do you think your customers value most about your business?

Gretchen Walker: I think our customers most value the opportunity to have a truly interactive experience as a family. Here at the Hall, we have experiences that invite your whole family to step into the shoes of a scientist and engineer. You have the opportunity to design, build, and test your own solutions to engineering challenges. You can stop and ask questions in a planetarium show. You can divert rivers, meet animals, and look back at the Earth from outer space. Everything is designed to give you the opportunity to explore together, and to really get that quality fun time as a family.

RT: What inspired you to get involved with the Hall?

GW: I’m a science center director because it was a visit to a planetarium when I was eight that inspired me to go on and study astronomy in college. Things that happen outside of school are hugely important in helping kids develop their own interests. I want to be a part of inspiring other kids with a lifelong interest in science.

RT: Can you give us one tip for balancing entrepreneurship with parenthood?

GW: Find ways to include your kids in what you do. The great thing about my job is that my four year old daughter can understand and enjoy some of it. While most of my job really is meetings and spreadsheets, there are lots of times when I need to come in to the Hall on weekends for a special event. Sydney likes to tag along and see what new fun things there are to do at Mommy’s museum.

RT: What is your proudest moment as a business owner or parent?

GW: My proudest moment is both as a museum director and as a parent. This summer, we opened Design Quest, a new exhibition that lets everyone design, build, and test everything from stop motion movies to cars to shoes—it’s the culmination of work we’ve been doing to provide repeatable, open-ended experiences that are both educational and cross-generational. I went into the exhibition to meet my daughter and her grandparents who were enjoying an afternoon together waiting for me to finish up work. Sydney ran up to me and said “Mom! Mom! Mom! Check out this awesome superpower shoe that Nana and I invented.”  She and her grandmother were both smiling from ear to ear and covered in bits of tape, scraps of paper, and pen marks.

RT: Is there a special offer you’d like to include for Red Tricycle readers?

GW: We’d like to offer Red Tricycle readers the opportunity to come visit and have a hands-on science adventure. Readers can get a pass for one free youth admission with a paying adult. Visit lawrencehallofscience.org/youthpass to claim and print your pass. Use code “MostAwesome”. Please note: Youthpass is for ages 3–18, and must be claimed by12/31/2013.

Want to learn more about The Lawrence Hall of Science? Follow this totally awesome museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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What’s New at the Walt Disney Family Museum

by nicki richesin

Can’t make it to the Magic Kingdom this year? Dreams can still come true at The Walt Disney Museum. For filmmaking enthusiasts, a trip to how the magic first happened and special new exhibitions could be truly inspiring. Housed in former barracks in the heart of the Presidio, you’ll find this stunning museum a vast tribute to the ambitious newspaper artist from Kansas City who would eventually conquer Hollywood. You’re as welcome as can be at the home of M-I-C-K-E-Y!

Located in the Presidio, the Walt Disney Family Museum is a memory trip into the art of animation and family classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mary Poppins or Steamboat Willie. There you’ll see a miniature replica of Disneyland, meet the conductor behind Fantasia and hear Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah play on a ceiling giant screen. Bliss!

How to get here: Enter the Presidio at the Lombard Gate; at the second stop sign turn right onto Presidio Boulevard. Presidio Boulevard becomes Lincoln Boulevard; continue westbound. Follow Lincoln Boulevard until you reach the large parking lot on the left (Main Post). Park towards the center of the lot and take the center path to the row of large red brick buildings until you reach #104 Montgomery Street.

When to go: The museum is open year round from Wednesday-Monday from 10:00am-6:00 pm. It closes at 5:00 pm on “Animate Your Night” (perfect for date nights!) on Fridays.

What to do: The museum’s best kept secret may be their monthly screenings in the state-of-the-art theatre downstairs. Celebrate Halloween with Hallowscreen a special selection of haunted cartoon shorts such as The Skeleton Dance, The Mad Doctor, Pluto’s Judgment Day, and more. On Friday, October 26- Sunday, October 28, 2012 they’ll also host screenings of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Next up in November 2012: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!

Between Frames: The Magic Behind Stop Motion Animation reveals the magic behind movie creatures such as King Kong, the Jurassic Park Velociraptors, and Star Wars AT-AT. The exhibition follows the evolution of stop motion animation in the United States from innovators like Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Henry Selick (Coraline and James and the Giant Peach), Phil Tippett (Star Wars and Jurassic Park), and more. The exhibit is on view from September 27, 2012 to April 28, 2013 in the museum’s Theater Gallery.

The museum’s first major exhibition Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic celebrates the film’s 75th year. In this landmark show, you can see firsthand the terrific efforts made by the accomplished animators and artists who brought Disney’s first full-length motion picture to life. This special exhibit will be on view from November 15, 2012 to April 14, 2013. Check out the calendar for special family activities and programs.

What Not to Miss: Don’t miss the gorgeous museum store which features a wide selection of Disney memorabilia, seasonal gifts, home décor, books, gifts, and toys. Walt Disney said he didn’t make movies for kids or adults, but for everyone, “Everyone was once a child with a fine, unspoiled spot deep inside, maybe the world has made us forget, but our pictures can help us recall.”

The real attraction, though, lies in ten rooms of permanent exhibits staged theatrically on two floors. The pint-size set will prefer to flash through the first floor displays on the history of Walt’s family so they can reach the second floor’s amazing animated walls through an elevator that could belong in Disneyland. Then depending on your kids, you can spend 30 minutes or two hours on the second floor.

The Disneyland miniature replica finale is a highlight of the museum and will keep little ones transfixed as they try to catch a glimpse of every automated carousel in the park. You might even plan your next Disneyland trip there!

What to skip: The first and second room on Walt’s childhood and early adulthood will likely not fascinate preschoolers, but the silent black and white shorts called Laugh-o-grams next to the elevator in Room 2 will captivate more than a few with their simple plots and graphic lines – perfect for kids with short attention spans.

Where to dine: The Walt Disney Museum has a charming café, with upstairs and downstairs seating for your little mouseketeers, featuring fizzy drinks, yogurt parfait, PB&J sandwiches, and chili in a bread bowl. You might also like to brown bag it on the lawn outside the museum on the Presidio grounds.

How to dress: The weather is notoriously unreliable in the Presidio so layer up before you go but once inside, you’re safe and warm.

Insider Tip: If you know you are going to stay for the movie, do buy your separate movie tickets in advance, online or in person. If nobody shows up with paid movie tickets at the screening time, the screening is cancelled.

Bathrooms: you can find nice colorful bathrooms with a changing table at the lower level, as well as two bathrooms located in Gallery 7b (right before the gallery with the view of the Golden Gate Bridge), one of which has a changing table.

Strollers: They are not allowed in the museum. Leave them downstairs at the coat check of the Lower Lobby before you start your visit.

Cost: Children under age 6 get in free with an adult admission. Prices are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors over 65 and students (with ID) and $12 for kids aged 6 through 17 years. Movie screenings are $7 per adult and $5 for children age 17 years and under.

Insider Tip: On December 5, 2012 in honor of Walt Disney’s birthday, the museum will be free (limit two tickets per person).

Online:  waltdisney.com

What’s your child’s favorite Disney character? Let us know in the comment section below. 

— Nicki Richesin with Laure Latham

First two photos of Nicki; third photo by Jim Smith, courtesy Walt Disney Family Museum

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