Open Engagement is an annual conference, running since 2007, that takes place in Oakland this weekend. I will be following along online and wish I could be there! Two powerhouse speakers will be setting the tone, and I expect asking some tough questions. Power is the theme of the conference. What is it? How do …
Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis is basically the story of my boys in our backyard. The character in the story creates a new reality for the stick, and a parent-like voice reminds him “to be careful with that stick.” When my children stretch their creativity, it stretches mine too. Sometimes it is easier or safer …
Theo Jensen’s YouTube playlist is just what we need after a busy weekend. This summer the Exploratorium will show the first North American exhibition of Strandbeests by Theo Jansen. The music in many of his videos and the rhythm of his sculptures sets the tone for a relaxing moment and checks off our STEM lesson for the day (which we don’t really …
Nina Katchadourian is completing a three year artist residency at the Exploratorium this year, and I’m looking forward to her final exhibit. She talks about the new exhibit in her Bad at Sports interview last fall. The interview is a great introduction to her work, which circles around the themes of wonder, dust, and boredom. Nina …
I just ordered a children’s book by Harrell Fletcher, an artist who is committed to making life more interesting than it is. In 2012 he was Artist-In-Residence at The Exploratorium in San Francisco, where he made “The Best Things in Museums are the Windows.” The artwork may not look like art you recognize from museums, but he is …
Scientific American calls it the “best science museum in the world.” And since it’s beginning in 1974, The Exploratorium has hosted an artist-in-residence. The Exploratorium is a playground for thinking and asking questions. And some of my favorite artists, like Nina Katchadourian, Harrell Fletcher, and Tim Hawkinson, have made work here. More importantly, they made work at the Exploratorium …
This week we went to see the exhibition Black is Beautiful at the Paul Jones Collection. It’s a small gallery showing a student curated exhibition from the permanent collection. We kept our visit simple. We ate a cookie in front of our favorite artwork, and we tried to draw the braids from Sheila Pree Bright’s photograph. If you …
This video by Sarah Green and The Art Assignment covers to basics of how to visit to an art museum. It doesn’t include footnotes on taking toddlers or teenagers, but it is a clear overview for adults. Green is visiting the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City that frequently has free children’s programs on Saturdays. …
In a recent book review, I mentioned that I pulled out my stack of Paris books to peruse for a friend. This is another one I’m glad I snagged. The book Babar’s Gallery by Laurent de Brunhoff is inspired by the Musée d’Orsay. How did art museums get here and why? This book is a fictional re-telling of how …
The Louvre is a great museum. It probably always will be, but I think most people just visit to check it off their to-do list. The first time I visited, I sat happily in the atrium admiring the light and glass and rush of people. I purchased a Mona Lisa memo pad and left. Six …