Recently I read the NCBLA blog,(opens in a new window) encouraging parents to take their children to an exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art(opens in a new window) in New York.
Museums — large or small — enrich any spring break no matter where you live or how old the children. Plus, there’s some research(opens in a new window) which suggests that the study of art enhances literacy skills, including critical thinking.
While museums provide a unique, shared experience — regardless of previous exposure or experience — sometimes it can be difficult to physically get there.
And that’s when a trip to a library or a bookstore comes in.
Books are not a substitute for an actual museum visit, but it is possible for them to enrich a visit, prepare for one, or allow you to see work from faraway galleries.
You can see and talk about an entire exhibit in Tell Me a Picture (opens in a new window)(Francis Lincoln), explore similar themes in a range of art in books by Lucy Micklethwait,(opens in a new window) or meet an individual artist in an interactive book like Hello Rousseau(opens in a new window) (Birdcage Books).
Let me know about your favorite museum or art book — or what you’re planning for this year’s spring break!