“It’s boring!”
Not the response I wanted to hear after a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, but it wasn’t unexpected. It was clear that the Family Program on Chinese Arts hadn’t been a hit with my kids.
The program, billed as “conversation and sketching for kids six to twelve” in the museum’s Asian Arts collection seemed to be targeted toward the younger children. The questions and answers were all on the six-year-old level, leaving my kids thinking that they’d heard it all before.
In retrospect, it would have been better to prepare for the visit and explore the galleries on our own.
If I were going to do it again, I would share the Met’s A Look at Chinese Painting with the kids before the visit. We would also explore a few online resources, just so we could understand some of the story or relevance behind the art.
At a minimum, I’m learning a little about this ancient art. Next time we visit the Asian Art collections, I’ll be ready to point out the interesting highlights and juicy tidbits.
Then, when the kids tell me that they were bored, I’ll know it’s only because they’re card-carrying members of the Too Cool To Admit We’re Having Fun Club.
Chinese Painting Online Resources
Ancient Chinese Art – Illustrated timeline of Ancient Chinese Art on Kidipede.
Chinese Painting on Wikipedia – Short, but very comprehensive, look at the symbolism and history of the “oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world.”
Chinese Painting: Love To Know Crafts – Discover how to do Chinese Painting, includes links for supplies.
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