Many museums around town offer rich arts programming for families during specially curated arts days — several occuring on a monthly basis. Dropping in for these clinics is an excellent, creative weekend diversion. Kids relax and play with arts and crafts and parents relax and often learn about a show featured at the museum that educators have incorporated into the project.
The sly intention of museum educators is to make you and your kids feel welcome in the museum. That’s why the programming is so inviting — and inventive. Which all adds up to a win-win for parents and kids: the art-making is free with entry, and by participating in these projects over time, kids become more comfortable in the galleries.
This weekend offers a great chance to sample these programs. Take a look:
Autry Cultural Center: Sunday, February 23 at 2:00 PM
Autry Explorers: Family Masterpieces: Turn family silhouettes into majestic mountains in this engaging art workshop. Artist/educator Ilaan Egeland Mazzini will guide participants in creating original body-inspired landscapes through a process of shadow drawings and watercolor. Click for details. In conjunction with the Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale. Following the workshop, museum educators will lead family tours of the exhibition.
LACMA: Sunday, February 23 at 12:30 PM
Andell Family Sundays: Memories and Art from Africa: See art from Africa rarely seen in the United States in the special exhibition Shaping Power: Luba Masterworks from the Royal Museum for Central Africa. Design personal memory boards and your own royal objects in artist-led workshops. Your kids can get a NexGen membership and attend for free. Click for details.
Hammer Museum: Sunday, February 23 at 12:00 Noon
Hammer Kids, Sunday Afternoons for Kids: Seven Wonders of the World: From the seven wonders of the ancient world to the wonders of the solar system, lists of wonderful places and structures have delighted us for eons. Now it’s your turn to come up with a list of what’s wonderful! Define the wonders of your neighborhood and create your very own brochure to guide your friends and family through your wonders. Led by urban planner and children’s book author Alex Pudlin. The Hammer’s free collaborative workshops, presented with 826LA, are designed for groups of up to 20 students. Click for details.
Skirball Cultural Center: Saturday and Sunday, February 22 and 23 ALL DAY
Last Weekends of the Month: Bring the whole family to the Skirball’s Last Weekends of the Month. These fun-filled Saturdays and Sundays feature special last-weekend-only performances and activities that change every month. Take part in related art activities in the Family Art Studio, too. In conjunction with the exhibition Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie, join local organizationTrash for Teaching in transforming cast-off industrial materials into unique buildings and structures.
Zimmer Children’s Museum: Sunday, February 23, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Zimmerpalooza 2014: Party Like a Rock Star: The event will feature LA’s coolest rock bands for kids, including Mista Cookie Jar, Twinkle Time, Willie Aron, Ellen and Matt and David Tobocman and include lots of groovy activity stations. Click for ticketing details and more information.
