Museums inviting children to come in and touch

It used to be that children didn’t feel welcome in the hallowed halls of the country’s best art museums. And they probably weren’t.

Things have changed, though -- so much so that Child magazine ranks the 10 best art museum for kids in its March issue. Note that it’s not “children’s art museums”; these are the real deal.

No. 1 on the list is the Chicago Institute of Art, which has family art camps and an exhibit called “Faces, Places and Inner Spaces,” an interactive show featuring art from eight countries.

Child editor in chief Miriam Arond decided it was time to explore art museums after noticing “a big change in attitude.”

“We all grew up with a ‘Don’t touch, don’t talk too loud’ attitude. But there’s a recognition now that if you don’t get children excited about art at a young age, it’s unlikely they’ll walk in when they’re 15 or 20 and be immediately captivated.... Art museums have come a long way in catering to kids.”

Museums are following the paths forged by other experiences that used to be adult-oriented, including the dentist’s office, which now might have an aquarium, or a hair salon that keeps kiddie videos playing.

Instead of just looking and admiring Rembrandt’s paintings at the Dayton Art Institute in Dayton, Ohio, children beginning in June will be able to dress up in costumes similar to the subjects.

Back in Chicago, there’s a “touch-me” gallery, encouraging kids to feel the different shapes and textures on sculptures from different periods. At the de Young Museum, part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, there’s an interactive multimedia exhibit that explores pre-Hispanic art, African art and 20th century American paintings.

“Touching is extremely exciting for children. It eliminates the distance between children and art,” Arond says.

With art being a favorite target of school budget cutters, exposing children to art is increasingly becoming the responsibility of parents and the museums they turn to, Arond says, and it seems as if museums see this as an opportunity to ensure their own futures.

She adds: “Parents are learning a lot about art too. Not every parent is an art history major. The activities not only make children more in tune to art, but the parent gets more interested and will really think about what they’re looking at.”

The Art Institute of Chicago started years ago offering family workshops that combine a visit to the gallery with an art-making experience, and it has snowballed from there, says Jean Sousa, director of interpretive exhibitions and family programs.

Now a day at the museum can be quality family time and a quality cultural experience, she says.

“Parents have so much to do. To be able to go to a workshop and to have this learning experience, engaging experience and social experience with their children that has been so carefully orchestrated is a wonderful thing.”

And, Sousa agrees, the museum certainly is getting something out of it. The natural interest in programs boosts a museum’s visibility without spending advertising dollars that are getting harder to come by.

“People perceive art museums as an adult place. They think a piece of art isn’t as accessible as a bear or giraffe so they take the kids to the zoo. But if we’re guiding you through the museum and encouraging kids to be a part of it, that perception will change,” Sousa says.

And Sousa doesn’t expect -- or even want -- children to spend their time at the museum learning the definition of “impressionist.” What she wants them to leave with is an understanding of how there is meaning in things and objects.

“If you stop and examine a painting or sculpture, you can figure out a lot about what’s going on. This carries over to life. Art can be about observation, deduction and reasoning.”

Those skills translate to school. “There are so many dimensions of learning that can happen at a museum. That’s why you want to have the experience as a young child. Then you can keep coming back again and again and keep building on it,” Sousa says.

Child’s top 10 list: Art Institute of Chicago; Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; Dayton Art Institute; the de Young; Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha; Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Winterthur, Del.; Dallas Museum of Art; and Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass.