Friday, March 7, 2008

Family Field Trip: Whitney Biennial

Expand Your Kids' Imaginations:
Take them to the Whitney Biennial Art Exhibit!

Interaction with literature and the arts not only make for a "well rounded" young person, but also help young people to develop critical and creative thinking. This week the Whitney Museum in New York City opens its 78th Annual /Biennial show which features the work of 80 contemporary artists----paintings, sculpture, prints, installations, film and much more. Don't worry if your knowledge of art is minimal---go, take the kids, look, listen, look some more, and most importantly---talk about what you see! Ask your kids what and why they like or dislike different pieces. Remember, in art there are no right or wrong answers as to what you should like or dislike! See if your kids can figure out how each piece is made, and why an artist chose a particular material or medium, like painting, or film, to create his or her work. When you get home encourage your kids to experiment, to try and create their own work of art!

And if you cannot get to the Whitney--- visit the art museum closest to your home town. It is never to early to take your kids to see art---they will be delighted and you will so enjoy seeing their wonder! And check your local library before you go; many libraries offer free family passes to your local museums!

F0r information about the Whitney Museum of Art go to:
http://www.whitney.org/

Read in The New York Times about the Whitney Biennial:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/arts/design/07bien.html?ref=design
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/03/06/arts/20080307_WHITNEY_GRAPHIC.html#/content=tab1

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

$5oo,ooo To School Libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi

Laura Bush Foundation Gives Money to School Libraries Hurt by Hurricane Katrina!

In The New York Times:

Nearly a dozen schools in Louisiana and one in Mississippi will get a share of more than $500,000 in grants from the Laura Bush Foundation to rebuild their libraries. Mrs. Bush made the announcement as she visited a school in New Orleans. The donations bring to $3.7 million the total amount of grant money the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries has given to schools in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Texas since Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma struck in 2005.

Monday, March 3, 2008

A SHOW NOT TO BE MISSED!

William Steig Art Show
at the Jewish Museum in New York


Author and illustrator William Steig's books for children--Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, The Amazing Bone, Brave Irene, Doctor DeSoto, Shrek, Dominic, Abel's Island, and many more---are sweet and sly, poignant and clever, silly and serious. He was a "sublime doodler;" but the black lines he drew were so imbued with integrity and clarity that his characters never appeared cartoonish. His stories and illustrations never condescended to children--- or adults either.

If you can get to the Jewish Museum in New York -- run and see the show before it closes on March 16th. Along with illustrations from his children books, the show includes work from his 50 years drawing for the New Yorker magazine. If you cannot get to the show, Yale University Press has published a beautiful book 0f Steig's work to accompany the show with an introduction by Maurice Sendak--The Art if William Steig.

For more information on the show: http://www.jewishmuseum.org/


Read the New York Tines Review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/arts/design/14stei.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/arts/design/03conn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin