Taking the Kids: And a brand-new way to experience art

That’s if they are willing. And this isn’t inexpensive either with most tickets $40 and up; $25 for kids and college students with ID and free for those under 5.

In case you need a quick art history lesson, Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who after his death, became one of the most famous artists in western art. He created some 2,100 artworks — 860 oil paintings, many during the last two years of his life — landscapes, (Wheatfield with Crows still life, his sunflowers are among the most famous, portraits and self-portraits. The bold colors — reds and yellows and blues — and brushwork became one of the foundations of modern art. His paintings are now among the most expensive to have ever sold and his legacy is honored at museums around the world, including the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which has the largest collection, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, in fact, has just reported that it now has more than 2 million Instagram followers. (Learn more about his life, read his letters and explore his art here.)

Sadly, Van Gogh was considered a failure during his lifetime and suffered from depression so severe he was hospitalized. (The view from the asylum over the town of Saint-Remy is depicted in The Starry Night, one of his most famous works.) He ultimately committed suicide in 1880 at the age of 37.

At the beginning of the experience, step into Van Gogh’s bedroom. His Bedroom at Arles is one of his most popular paintings and was one of his favorites. At the end, you can’t help but be wowed by a 360-degree mirrored Sunflower Selfie room with hundreds of sunflowers featured in Instagram feeds around the world (#VanGoghAliveDCP).

There is an introduction explaining what you will see, but kids aren’t likely to stop and read the text. As with any museum visit, it would be wise to prepare them by looking at some of the art online and explaining who Van Gogh was and why he is so famous today. If they are old enough, first discuss why genius isn’t always recognized immediately.

At the same time Van Gogh Alive is in Colorado, it is showing in London, Beijing, Mexico City, Vienna and Melbourne. After Denver, Van Gogh alive will go to Kansas City and it has already been extended in Las Vegas at AREA15 through the fall, complete with special signature sunflower mocktails, The Starry Night cocktail and French wines.

“Find things beautiful as much as you can,” Van Gogh famously said. “…most people find too little beautiful.”

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia, the 13th in the kid’s guide series, was published in 2020, with The Kid’s Guide to Camping coming in 2021.)