What an Art Museum Can Do for Your Child

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This post is sponsored by the Neuberger Museum of Art. Please support our sponsors.

By now it’s no secret that the arts can play a vital role in a child’s development. So, visiting an art museum can be one of the most important things you can do to inspire your child’s imagination, sense of curiosity and wonder, self-expression, and creativity.

There’s real joy when a child discovers a work of art, and realizes that an artist can create something tangible from a thought! Or that that someone can make an object of beauty that inspires people for centuries.

Art helps us to see, which is why it’s exciting for a child to explore new worlds in just an hour or two. Art also inspires conversation and reflection. Through workshops and tours, the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase helps kids understand the relationship of art to their own ideas and experience.

The Neuberger is the premier museum of modern, African, and contemporary art in the Westchester and Fairfield County region. Besides their outstanding Permanent Collection, the Neuberger presents an ever-changing array of interesting exhibitions throughout the year. So, each time you visit, you can count on having a new art experience.

When children visit the Neuberger, what they see on view is used to inspire their own art-making. The museum offers hands-on activities in the galleries to develop their interpretation skills and expand the learning experience.

By discussing what they see, explaining what they like or can’t figure out, or reacting to what they think an artist is communicating, children engage in critical thinking. The entire experience stokes the imagination and encourages self-expression. It also inspired conversation, which, by the way, often continue long after kids leave the museum.

Visiting the Neuberger also helps children and their families respect the experiences, ideas, and differences of others. Through their connections with the works of art comes a better understanding of our world today as well as their place in that world.

A museum visit also creates lifelong memories. When you and your family visit the Neuberger, you can rest assured the experience will be a good one. The museum’s education department along with trained docents will have prepared an interesting tour or program to engage the entire family. They take into account different learning styles and teaching methods, and encourage focused looking, critical thinking, social interaction and making connections with works of art.

How to prepare for your visit:

1. Plan ahead. Visit their website to find out which exhibitions are on view and decide which ones you’d like to focus on with your kids. The idea is not to overwhelm them; you don’t want “museum fatigue” to set in. Then talk a little about what you’re going to see; keep it simple.

2. Sign up for our workshops. Open Studio for Kids gives your kids chance to visit one of the galleries and focus on a few works of art then go back and create their own piece. They’ll have a chance to explore, create, experience making art, and be inspired by what’s around them. And because there’s so much to see, you’ll be back again and again.

3. Talk about the experience. Visiting the museum is not only interesting, it also gives you a chance to do something together and to talk about it. You’ll be able to create your own personal experience, then reinforce what you’ve seen and done. Ask questions; do some art at home. Plan your next trip.

And oh, by the way, here’s what’s coming up:

Thursday, October 18, 3:30-4:45 p.m.

OPEN STUDIO FOR KIDS

Your young artists take on abstraction this month as the studio focuses on the work of Jackson Pollock, one of the artists in our Permanent Collection. Best for ages 5-10; snack is included.

Registration required: neuopenstudioforkids.eventbrite.com

$15 per non-member child

Thursday, November 15, 3:30-4:45 pm

OPEN STUDIO FOR KIDS

Today’s project is inspired by the vivid landscapes of Georgia O’Keeffe. Best for ages 5-10; snack is included.

Registration required: neuopenstudioforkids.eventbrite.com

$15 per non-member child

Thursday, December 13, 3:30-4:45 pm

OPEN STUDIO FOR KIDS

Today, Pop artist Andy Warhol is in the spotlight. Kids make their own art-inspired works!

Registration required: neuopenstudioforkids.eventbrite.com

$15 per non-member child

Not a member yet? Don’t delay! Click here to become a member.

For further information about the Neuberger’s education programs, please contact Diana Puglisi, Curator of Education for Adult and Youth Programs at the Neuberger Museum of Art: [email protected]