Tag Archives: Stories in Art

January 14, 2011 · 8:05 am

MLK Celebrations and More this Weekend

Whether you’re looking for ways to pay tribute to MLK, interesting activities at the museums, or fun entertainment for the kids, this weekend has it covered. Here’s what’s going on around town Saturday, Sunday, AND Monday. Happy Weekend!

Martin Luther Kind Jr. Holiday Family Festival – The National Museum of Natural History has commemorated the birthday of MLK for over 30 years and will continue the tradition this weekend. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday guests are invited to participate in an interactive play recreating a sit-in, hear the words of Dr. King brought to life in a dramatic presentation, and participate in a discussion on civil rights. The free event runs from 10am – 5pm each day and is open on a first-come, first-served basis.

Stories in Art at the National Gallery – The museum’s winter program for kids ages 4 – 7 begins on Sunday with a study of Alexander Calder. The workshop will start with a reading of “Sophie’s Masterpiece,” a book about a spider and her wondrous creations. From there, the group will explore Calder’s “Spider” and learn to weave their own wire mobiles. The hour-long session begins at 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, and 2:30pm. Sign-in for Stories in Art will take place in the East Building Atrium, beginning at 11am that day, and will continue until all spaces are filled. No admission fee required. For more about the series, see this post from last week.

Sharing the Dream: A Multicultural Celebration of Love & Justice – This two-day festival at the National Museum of the American Indian celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and brings together artists from African, Latino, and Native American communities. Listen, watch, and learn as they share their expressions of love and justice through their music, spoken word, and storytelling performances. The weekend also includes hands-on activities for all ages as well as films, tours, and other regularly scheduled programs at the museum. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 12 – 5pm. A complete schedule of activities is available on the NMAI website.

“I Have a Dream…” Pillowcases – Kids are invited to share their dreams with the National Children’s Museum Launch Zone on Saturday from 11am – 4pm in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by making their own “I Have A Dream…” pillowcases. Other activities will be presented to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. King. The Launch Zone is located at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill.

Poetry Extravaganza – All ages are invited to this tribute honoring the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. at the MLK, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday at 1pm. The poetry readings and recitals by Collective Voices will take place in the library’s Great Hall.

Last Call for the Nutcracker – If the kids missing the magic of the holidays or maybe you didn’t get to see the season’s most classic show, you have one last chance to recapture the holiday spirit on stage before we say farewell for a while. The Synetic Family Theater’s production of The Nutcracker has two final performances this weekend — and KFDC readers can get a discount on tickets. For details, see this post from a few days ago.

Girl Up “Unite for Girls” – Teen girls in the Washington, DC, area have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of girls around the world. This Saturday, January 15, the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up “Unite for Girls” city tour is stopping in the nation’s capitol to hold a pep rally in support of girls across the globe, and local teens are invited to take part in the educational and empowering event. For details about the event, see this post from earlier this week.

Theater Time – Several children’s stage productions begin this week, and tickets are still available for some of the performances. Check out this post from a few days ago to see what’s playing and how to reserve your seats,

Rock Out Sunday Morning – What better way to start the day than rocking out with local kids’ fave Rocknoceros. The band is laying at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue at 10:30am. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 day of the show. Purchase online through the Sixth & I website.

Give Together Family Volunteer Day – Looking for something to do with the kids on the day off from work and school on Monday? Volunteer Fairfax is hosting an event that will give families an opportunity to give back. The second annual Give Together Family Volunteer Day will bring together several non-profits from the region with local families to work on various service projects. For complete details about the event, see this post.

Let Freedom Ring on Millennium Stage – The Kennedy Center and Georgetown University host a musical celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. The concert featuring Grammy Award–winning, platinum-selling vocalist Patti LaBelle also includes the Let Freedom Ring Choir with Music Director, Rev. Nolan Williams Jr. Georgetown University will award the ninth annual John Thompson Legacy of a Dream Award to Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery—a leader in the American Civil Rights movement. Free tickets will be given away two per person in line in the Hall of Nations at 4pm on Monday on a first-come, first-served basis.

Free Admission to National Parks – In celebration of the holiday weekend, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees at more than 100 national parks that usually charge admission. Layer up for a hike in the woods or cruise through Shenandoah and take in the views. This is the first of five fee-free weekends at national parks this year.

National Gallery of Art Winter Programs for Kids

Stories in Art at the National Gallery

The National Gallery of Art’s winter workshops for kids are about to start, and registration for one of them begins tomorrow, January 7. Two programs are being offered, one for kids ages 8 – 11, the other for ages 4 – 7.

The Family Workshop, Drawn into Nature, is for the older group and will take place on weekends beginning January 16. Designed for children and adults to participate in together, each two-hour workshop includes an interactive tour in the galleries followed by a hands-on studio session taught by artists and museum educators. Workshops are free, but preregistration is required. An online registration form will be posted at noon tomorrow. Note: These are one-time classes; you don’t have to commit to an entire session. Visit the NGA website for more details and the complete schedule.

Younger children can enjoy the Stories in Art series, which will also take place weekly beginning January 16. This is a fantastic program that introduces kids to art and encourages them to use their imaginations as they explore different works. We attended one of the workshops this summer and loved it (read the review here). This winter, three stories will be paired with three sculptures in the collection. Museum staff will lead children in examining each sculptor’s materials and techniques, then guests will create their own work of art inspired by the artist’s process. No pre-registration is required for this free series, but there is a limit to the number of children in each class. Sign-in will take place in the East Building Atrium, beginning at 11am on Sundays, and will continue until all spaces are filled. Visit the National Gallery of Art website for more details and the complete schedule.

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Filed under Art, Class, DC, Educational, Free, Gradeschoolers, Museums, Preschoolers, Preteens

Tagged as Family Workshops, National Gallery of Art, Stories in Art

July 23, 2010 · 1:21 pm

Review: Stories in Art at the NGA

Art buffs in the making

I find it downright amazing when one adult can keep a group of young children engaged and entertained for more than a few minutes. Some people just seem to have a special charisma that makes kids want to sit quietly and listen… and learn. If I was trying to command an audience of about 20 four to seven-year-olds, I can guarantee complete chaos would ensue, and there would be at least one major meltdown — and it would probably be mine.

This is reason number one why I give the Stories in Art Drop-in Program at the National Gallery of Art huge props. From start to finish—for well over an hour—the group leader held the attention of about 20 kids as she talked about Italy, read a story about the Italian painter Giotto, discussed a famous work of his art, then led the group in an art project related to what they had just learned. Seriously, just about all of the kids hung on her every word, were eager to chime in when she asked questions, and tackled their art projects with the zeal of an Italian chef cooking his signature pasta fagioli.

Which leads to the second reason I loved this program: interaction was encouraged. From finding Italy on a map together to frequently discussing parts of the story to offering ideas about how the painting was made, the kids played just as big a role in the session as the group leader. And it all went down in quite the orderly fashion—they raised hands, took turns speaking, listened to their peers. What?! As the mom of a four-year-old boy with lots of four-year-old boy friends, I’m a little more used to mini UFC matches than civilized art discussions when it comes to groups of children. Maybe it was the art museum setting. (Note to self: start hosting play dates at the National Gallery.)

That brings me to my next reason for giving Stories in Art my personal seal of approval. Short of going to Italy and retracing Giotto’s roots, the kids were immersed in the subject. The session took place in a gallery that displayed the work they were studying; the group sat on the floor right below the painting they discussed, where they could see it in context as a famous work of art. And their art project took place just down the hall in an atrium area of the museum. The kids got to create art in an art museum—that’s pretty darn inspiring, if you ask me.

If all that’s not convincing enough, here’s the kicker: The art project directly tied in to the theme, so the kids actually got to apply their newly found art knowledge to their work. In this particular session they learned about Giotto’s use of gold in his painting and how he carefully carved out designs in layers to maintain the integrity of the gold leaf. To emulate the technique, the kids were given matte framed canvasses of black film over gold along with a stick to carve out their own gold designs. Even better, everyone got to take their final works home. Owen’s is now proudly displayed in our dining room.

Here are some things to know if you’re thinking about taking your child to the program:

– There are three sessions on each date the program runs, starting at 10:30 or 11:30, then hourly after that. You must register beforehand for the time slot you want. We went on the weekend around 11:45 and signed up for the 1:30, as the 12:30 was already filled. but we used to time to enjoy lunch in the cafe and check out Allen Ginsberg’s photography exhibit “Beat Memories,” which I highly recommend, by the way (for grown-ups).

– The art and countries vary by date, so be sure to check the schedule on the NGA website to find out what’s on the agenda when you plan to go. This weekend they are reading “Iggy Peck Architect” (one of my favorite books to read to Owen) and exploring a work by Giovanni Panini.

– Your child will receive a “passport” upon registration that gets stamped each time they participate in a session. If they receive three stamps, they could win a prize—because a little extra incentive to keep them interested in learning about art never hurts.