About a month ago, I offered to write for the Walker blog about contemporary art and kids. I am a contemporary art evangelist: If I could, I’d go door-to-door holding up a copy of Frieze. I love going to museums and galleries with my kids, and want other parents to enjoy it, too. But I also realize that not all parents agree that an art museum – or a contemporary art center – is a great place to visit with kids.
Just a couple of weeks ago, my family took a trip to Los Angeles and visited five museums in six days with two kids. When I wasn’t clicking kids in and out of car seats, or looking for another place to get coffee, I tried to think about what I would want to read about loving art and living with kids. Here are the questions I am most interested in:
- What makes it practical and possible to visit places like the Walker with kids? It is lots of work to get out the door and into an exhibition, so the visit needs to be do-able.
- What can I get out of experiencing art with kids that I don’t get looking on my own? I still like visiting museums and galleries by myself, but there’s something great about looking together.
- Why is it so great to find an exhibition or artwork that’s as interesting or funny or challenging for a five-year-old as it is for a forty-year-old?
I’ll keep you posted.
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