Taking the Kids: A new, innovative way to experience Monet's art, especially for kids
"He's painted me many times," the boy tells the lily in the audio guide, as visitors look at Monet's The Artist's House at Argenteuil, which depicts Jean outside in a sailor suit, his mom watching from the doorway. "It's very colorful here, so you should have no problem finding a good color," he suggests. The little lily agrees, choosing the bright blue that Monet had painted on a flowerpot.
The story of the traveling little water lily and her challenge to find and identify color was written by Lindsay Genshaft, who manages family programs at the Denver Art Museum where there are interactive family elements throughout the museum.
There is also an interactive play Genshaft has written, The Art Emergency: Monet Edition, which will run daily for school groups and for the public weekdays during winter break. The Art of Emergency enables kids to appreciate how Monet shook up the art world with his take on color, light and brushstrokes. "When kids and families get insight and the stories behind the artworks and artists, they get super excited to see the real thing in the galleries," Genshaft explained. "Kind of like a concert where you know all the songs."
To that end, parents can prepare kids for seeing this art exhibit and others by looking at a book on the paintings or searching online, Genshaft suggests. I think it helps if the kids know a little about the artist. How young were they when they discovered art? Where did they grow up?
You can always ask the kids what it is they are seeing (where would they be if they were to step inside the painting?) Genshaft advises engaging kids to describe the figures' body language or the textures and lines. What is the artist trying to say? Is there a story in the painting? Does it have anything to say about our world today? Do you feel a connection?
I certainly did at the Monet exhibit. I want to return to Giverny -- with my now-grown daughter.
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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)
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