How to engage with art (for children and adults)

Unlike many adult visitors to art museums, young children do not feel they need to be “experts” to respond to artwork. They are open-minded and spontaneous in their responses and interpretations.  There is a lot to be said about the importance of historical context and the understanding of art, but it is much more important to encourage an open ended dialogue about the work of art, a dialogue that values both adults and children’s opinion.

ART IS ‘beautiful or thought-provoking works produced through creative activity’ (Encarta Dictionary). It is a subjective commentary of an artist that is meant to be viewed differently by each person. Art can be sometimes intimidating and difficult to approach, that is why I have compiled yet another list. This one will give you some ideas of how to engage with art.

DEVELOP A CONVERSATION
Start by Reading the label: The title, the artist, the year it was made, and what it is made of. This is a good way to start a conversation.
Start by not reading the label, Look at the work of art first; see if you can imagine what the work is about.
Change where you stand. Change how you view a painting by moving really close (remind them “no touching”) then move really far.
Relate what you see to what is familiar to your child. It is only natural to make a connection between what you see and what is familiar to you. Making references to the child’s world makes it easier for him/her to understand and engage with art.Terms you may wish to use in your discussion:
Line
Color
Texture
Shape
Emphasis
Movement
Pattern 

MAKING
Sketch from the original, sit together with your child in front of an artwork. Practice your drawing skills by sketching from a master. Drawing from observation will help you and your child notice details and understand the artwork on a deeper level. It will help you remember what you have seen (why is drawing important)

Write a story: one of my favorite activities is to sit in a café and imagine the life of the person sitting next to me. This is kind of the same game: Find a realistic painting or sculpture and make up a story about it. You may draw or write the story (or both). Some guiding questions may be: Who are the people? Where are they? What are they doing? You may start with “once upon a time” (always a promising beginning for a good tale)

PLAYING GAMES
Turn your child into the Tour guide.  Give your child the control over the visit to the museum. Let him/ her be the tour guide, navigating you through the different rooms, focusing on the art work they find important, for as long as they want to. Have them explain the work to you just like tour guides. Help them develop ideas with open ended questions. “This kind of experience shows them they have valuable contribution to make and allows them to learn actively from artworks, through self directed inquiry.” Katrina Weier Empowering Young Children in Art Museums: letting them take the lead.

Play detectives (This one is great): Buy some postcards of the art work featured in the museum at the Museum Shop, and then try and find the artwork throughout the museum together.
Who doesn’t like to play "I Spy." Have children choose an object in a gallery and describe it to other family members so that each one can take a turn guessing what the object is.
Seek and Find. Ask your child to find paintings that have his or her favorite colors, shapes, or objects in them. This game teaches children to look very closely at objects.

I hope this is helpful, please take a moment to share any other ideas or thoughts you have. I am looking forward to hear about your next visit to the museum

tali

Other posts from this series:

Inspiration and investigation

Art museums are also for children

Art museums with children