Don't underestimate kids; take them to the museum

By KATHERINE SNOW SMITH

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 18, 2000

My daughter had just turned 3 the first time I took her to the Museum of Fine Arts in downtown St. Petersburg. I knew I had only myself to blame if she wanted to leave five minutes after we paid the $6 admission.

Surprisingly, we made it for almost 45 minutes (including a stint in the gift shop). Olivia went from picture to picture exclaiming: "Look at this kitty cat," or "Look at all those butterflies." The dark gallery at the back holding the Steuben glass collection was magical to her. And another gallery with Native American and African masks and pots was kind of scary to her, but that good kind of scary kids like.

Just last week I took her to the Salvador Dali Museum at 1000 Third St. S in St. Petersburg. This time most of her comments were "Why is he so sad?" "Why does he look so mad?" and "Why is the wall bleeding?" Granted it was a little heavier than butterflies and kitty cats, but she still enjoyed it for almost an hour this time.

I have learned your child doesn't have to be any kind of genius or serious art enthusiast to have a good time at an art museum. They don't have to know the difference between oil and acrylic or Renaissance and Baroque to enjoy it. Art is full of animals, interesting-looking people, angels, beaches, eyeballs, castles and so many things kids like looking at and talking about.

And where else are they going to see a lobster telephone other than the one Dali created in 1938?

Even the museum facilities themselves are intriguing to a child. The Dali is surrounded by beautiful boats. The Museum of Fine Arts is nestled in Straub Park among statues and good climbing trees. At the Dali, Olivia made sure she sat on every one of the sleek, black, leather benches scattered throughout the galleries. When a guard, a native of Albania, spoke to her she beamed.

The museums, of course, welcome children of all ages and many have special programs and events to encourage kids to enjoy art at an early age.

"Any kind of stimulation and educational activity or getting children involved in learning is great," said David Connelly, public relations director of the Museum of Fine Arts.

"They are so stimulated visually anyway. For us to have children in here as early as possible is something we strive for."

While you can't give a 4-year-old an art history class, you can show him a painting of Aphrodite and talk about the myths around this goddess of love. "It's not just the art objects they learn, it's the related history, the culture the relationships," Connelly said. Paintings that show nature and the Florida landscape teach children about the environment and their home state.

"Art helps with their vocabulary at every age," added the museum's curator of education, Rebecca Russell. "When children come here they just learn how art can make your life more exciting. . . . It takes you out of the humdrum."

Along with free admissions for the whole family every Sunday, the Museum of Fine Arts has a host of other programs, classes and special events for children ages 3 and up. (Children under 6 are always free while students are $2.) The Salvador Dali gears most of its educational programs to third-graders and above, but education curator Peter Tush told me younger children are frequent visitors.

"Dali focuses on dreams and the imagination so there are a lot of things that really are interesting to children that are available at this museum," he said. At the Dali Museum, adult admission is $9. Students pay $5 and children 10 and under are free.

Tush offered a few tips to make a young child's trip to the museum a success.

Don't stay too long. More than half an hour may be taxing.

Talk to your children before you go about what they will see at the museum. Both the Dali and the Museum of Fine Arts have fun, free videos geared for children about the artists and museums that you can borrow in advance and return on your visit.

Don't try to do a regular adult tour with young children. It can be long, over their head and a big turnoff.

See which paintings or other art objects your child responds to, then start asking them questions about what they see and what they like or don't like.

A game of I Spy can be used with almost any painting for big or small objects, shapes, or colors.

If you call the Dali in advance the museum might match you up with a docent on duty who has a knack for teaching children. "We have some docents who love working with children," Tush told me. "I know a lot of people who have had success bringing their children in to talk with them."

One way the Museum of Fine Arts has been reaching out to young children is through an early intervention program organized with the Pinellas County Schools for at-risk students. Each month 100 4-year-olds are brought to the museum to learn about and make art. A storyteller tells stories inspired by various paintings. Sometimes the children then make up their own stories.

"These children develop really wild stories about any work of art," Connelly said. "It's really incredible to listen to." The art the children make is displayed upstairs in the museum.

"These little 4-year-olds can tell you all about what's a sculpture and what's a painting," Russell said. "They remember paintings and their names such as the name of Georgia O'Keeffe's Poppy."

The museum also has other free programs for older children, who are selected through the schools because they are either at-risk or art enthusiasts. There are also other programs anyone can sign up for that cost about $50.

During the school year there are family workshops for learning about and creating art one Saturday a month for prekindergarteners through fifth-graders. There are after-school classes for 4- and 5-year-olds. There is also a weekly tea tour in the winter. It's mostly for adults, but Russell said she knows of some children who come every week with a parent to partake in the tea, sandwiches and sweets served in the museum's garden.

This summer the museum is offering various camps and classes starting June 26 and beyond. Programs are available for 3-year-olds through teenagers.

The museum also offers special services for physically challenged children such as sign language interpreters and raised art that visually impaired visitors can check out and take home.

For information call the Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, at 896-2667 and the Salvador Dali Museum at 823-3767. The Museum of Fine Arts is closed Mondays. Call both museums before going to check weekday and weekend hours.

-- Contact Rookie Mom with comments and questions at Oliviachar@aol.com or 727-822-7225.

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