If you ask my 4 year old and 6 year old if they enjoyed sitting quietly through Nick Cave’s two hour performance and then going to an art museum where you cannot touch anything, they will say, “It was awesome!” I am so thankful for this opportunity to share art or life with them. They get it. They don’t necessarily get art, but they get the heart of art.
Before we visited the exhibition, Nick Cave Feat., we watched a few movies about Nick Cave online. They love the clips of the soundsuits dancing. I recommend AS IS from Louisiana, Feat. in Nashville, or the shorter doc on Up Right in Atlanta. Before we went in, we also made a deal. I told them if they let me see the art in the exhibition (don’t act crazy, etc.), then we can go play in the Martin ArtQuest Studio. They remember how fun it is and thought that was a fair deal. You can see pictures of our first visit to the studio here.
After moving through the first room (which was a little crowded), we appreciated the space to sit down in front of Nick Cave’s video “Blot.” On the large screen, a mirrored image of a dancer in a black soundsuit references the inkblot images used in psychological testing. The looping, monochrome video is truly compelling. A tour of older youth stood quietly in the corner, while we sat in the middle mesmerized and chatting away. We debated simple questions like “Is it one or two dancers?” Even the question, “What are we looking at?” can be up for debate in an art museum.
Our disputes continued while we walked circles around Nick Cave’s “Architectural Forest” in the next room. One of them declared that the collection of beaded rods hanging in tight rows were moving! Teased by the patterns, lights, and neon floor, we walked around and around in serious discussion. Jake fluctuated between sides, “It’s moving…maybe.” Zach, sure of himself, proclaimed, “Mom, you’re wrong. It’s moving.” It wasn’t moving. It was in fact strangely still. However, their belief that it was makes me imagine how cool Nick Cave’s sculpture “chase” might be this summer! He has a new installation or performance or dance party t the Park Avenue Armory in NYC this summer. I’ve only see a few pictures of the 100-foot long mylar strands that are going to hang in the massive drill hall. “Let Go” will invite the audience to be more involved in the dance.
The Frist Art Museum in Nashville is great for families for two main reasons. It’s not too big and they have a stimulating children’s play/make area. Their children’s art studio is included with your ticket, and I can’t wait to see the new improved version that opens in a few weeks. While their Martin ArtQuest studio is being renovated, the museum has moved some of the activities into one of their classrooms. Even though it is a smaller space, we had fun making soundsuit puppets and prints. Like our experience a few years ago, the staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful.
The renovated kids’ studio re-opens at the end of May. The exhibition, Nick Cave: Feat. is open through June 24th. Make a summer date out of it! And if it is your first time to an art museum with kids, then make sure to have fun and keep your expectations realistic. The museum also designed “activity guides” for this exhibition. They are hanging on the wall outside the galleries. Pick one up before you start walking around. One side is for inside the galleries and the other side can be completed anytime.
