Exploring Art Museums With Children

Children love to explore and are interested in many things when they are young. They may love to make their own art, but they may not know how to appreciate the art that others have produced. That is why many don’t think to take their children to art museums, but that can be a mistake. There is a lot that children can take away from such a visit, and many different types of museums that they will love. You may find just what you need very close to home, or you can travel as a family to find something truly amazing.

My daughter likes art museums. She first got interested in art museums when we took her to the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY. This is not your typical ‘paintings on the wall’ type of art museum, but rather, art made with glass almost exclusively. You would be surprised to see what can be done with glass. There are modern pieces, and there are some that date back centuries. Because there was a lot of interactive things to do, and many colorful exhibits, she was right into the experience and wants to visit more art museums.

No matter what type of art museums you choose, you can make sure that your children come away with something by engaging them at their level. Ask them what they think a painting is or what it means, and ask them to tell you what their favorite thing about each artwork might be. Make it fun and be conscious of the fact that children will generally have shorter attention spans than you might so don’t force them to continue once their interest wanes. Take a break, stop for lunch or a snack. Continue on if there is still interest. You can find art museums that are geared towards children, and they are always a good choice, but kids can enjoy all types of art when they are included in the process of choosing and viewing the art in question.

Transfer some of your excitement about art to you children. Develop and nurture their interest in art. When your child comes home telling you that they are going to art museums for field trips, do all you can to act excited, and ask them a lot of questions when they get back. Art is essential for learning skills, and the more they love art the better they are going to do in school. When the children sense your excitement over art museums, they are going to take on some of that energy and enthusiasm into themselves. They may even decide to give some types of art a try, and that may lead them to discovering a talent or a hobby that will stay with them for life.

Finding Art Related Jobs

If you are really interested the arts in any form, whether it be dance, music, or things like painting or sculpture, you may wish that you could make a living doing what you love the most. What most don’t realize is that they don’t have to have a gallery opening or star on Broadway to make a career out of doing what they love the most. There are plenty of art related jobs out there if someone knows where to look and what to look for when searching.

Some art related jobs might include teaching what you know. You may not think that this would be something that would be very fulfilling, but many find that they love to pass on what they know. There are art jobs in many school districts. You can also start up your own studio or if you don’t want to go to all of that trouble, you can always apply to be an instructor in an already established studio in your area. You may start out as an assistant, but that can change once you prove you know what you are doing for this type of art related jobs.

There are some jobs related to art that you may not have thought of as your dream career, but they can be just as fulfilling and possibly lead to something else. Most movie and television studios need people who are good at producing art in all forms. This means you may work on set building, special effects, or you may even be involved with makeup or wardrobe, depending on your skill level. You may also find a job as a choreographer if you are a dancer, or even as someone who can consult with anyone who might find a use for what you do. The possibilities are out there, you just have to look for them.

You can look for art related jobs in the same places where you would look for any type of work. You may find that you have to live in a larger area for some of the more lucrative careers, but there are jobs related to arts almost anywhere in the United States. You can even get involved on a local level with a charity if you want, or you can work with the school as a volunteer. Those that don’t have time for art related jobs find that volunteering for things in their spare time gives them the fulfillment that they are looking for when it comes to creative arts.

Art History

From earliest prehistoric times man has sought to represent his world and his view of the world and life. He may not have thought of his prehistoric cave drawings as art but the drawings that were etched into stone and cave walls representing the day’s hunt could are certainly considered art today. The Venus of Willendorf drawn in the Paleolithic period depicts a round womanly shape with distinct features in three dimensions.

The story of art history is not a single story but multiple parallel stories. It’s not a simple tale and that’s why there are so many scholars that have devoted lifetimes to the study of the art of one particular age, one particular country, or one particular culture or one particular artist. This article can only give the briefest glance at this magnificent story. But if something in particular sparks your interest check out the resource links. You might find just what you are looking for.

Greek art history is a combination of religious and secular drives producing some of the most admired sculpture and architecture of all time. The Mycenaean culture existed parallel to the Roman culture, in the same land, but didn’t really intermingle. During the Mycenaean period there was development of decorative vessels. They created the beehive tomb and their goldsmiths and potters are famous even today for their artistic creations.

From around 1025-700 BC simple lines and bands evolved into people, animals and mythical creatures. This gave way to depictions of deities, sculptures, and architectural embellishments. With the dawning of Christianity and its spread over the entire continent monks’ use of illumination to embellish sacred texts spread. The Book of Kells, one of the most famous illuminated volumes of history is on display at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Thousands of visitors a year come to view the beautiful illuminations. It was originally kept at the Kells monastery in the care of Celtic Monks that created this masterpiece of Western Calligraphy c. 900 AD.

The story of art history is the sprawling story of civilization and the imagination and vision of countless artists. It’s a story that’s almost impossible to grasp in huge chunks but better savored bit by rich bit. The study of one small piece of art history leads to a greater appreciation. Pick out a period, artist, school or movement and study it in greater depth. Look to the resource links on this site and elsewhere. Many of the riches of art history that often in years gone by required extensive travel are readily accessible to you through the Internet.