Rhonda Dunaway
07-17-2007, 09:34 PM
Mixing Monet and Preschoolers
Art Adventures at Omaha’s Joslyn Museum
Review by Rhonda Dunaway
Mixing Monet and preschoolers? I was dubious when friends told me how much their kids enjoyed “Art Adventures” at Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum. However, when the positive comments multiplied, my skepticism gradually gave way to curiosity, and I decided to try out a class with my five-year-old son.
Upon arriving at the museum, we were directed to the classroom, which turned out to be an actual studio. My son was delighted by the authenticity of the workspace and excited to see artwork by other kids on display. Pointing to paintings and sculptures, he kept exclaiming, “I want to make that!”
When the teacher, Therese Straseski, began the class, she told the kids she was going to read them a story about Claude Monet. Once again, doubt kicked in, but I was surprised and relieved to observe that my son seemed interested in a man who made art that others didn’t always understand or appreciate. Who doesn’t love an underdog story?
At the story’s conclusion, which was very brief and age-appropriate, Miss Therese led us into a gallery to view and talk about the Monet paintings on display. Reminiscent of a scene from the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” my son also got a kick out of seeing the images in Monet’s pictures become more defined or more hazy depending upon the distance he stood from the paintings.
We then returned to the studio so that the children could make their own paintings using Impressionist techniques. Convinced that my son would proudly tell Miss Therese that he was going to attempt an Impressionistic rendering of Spider Man, I was truly amazed, and more than a little relieved, when he made a painting of a country landscape complete with a meadow, a decaying timber fence, and geese flying overhead. As my son worked on his painting, he continued to make comments such as, “Look, Mom! You can make a painting by using dots!” and “This is my first real painting!”
Even though, my son has continued his almost obsessive focus on drawing and coloring pictures of super heroes, I strongly recommend Art Adventures for any preschool-age child who enjoys art. The hour-long class was fun and instructive, not just for my son, but for me, also. Miss Therese has a gift for working with young children and making the Museum and its art accessible to them. And, best of all, I know that in some small corner of my son’s mind, he remembers the museum, Miss Therese, and what he learned that day because every now and then, he’ll ask when we’re going to go to art class again.
Art Adventures for preschoolers will be held all summer long (June 8th through August 10th) every Friday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Joslyn Art Museum. Each week, students will talk about different artists, visit various galleries, and then make an art project related to what they’ve seen and experienced. The class is drop-in, so there’s no need to register in advance. The cost of the class is $6.00 per adult/child pair and A$1.00 per additional child for members; $8.00 per adult/child pair and $2.00 per additional child for the general public. For more information, visit Joslyn’s website at www.joslyn.org (http://www.joslynartmuseum.org/).
Art Adventures at Omaha’s Joslyn Museum
Review by Rhonda Dunaway
Mixing Monet and preschoolers? I was dubious when friends told me how much their kids enjoyed “Art Adventures” at Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum. However, when the positive comments multiplied, my skepticism gradually gave way to curiosity, and I decided to try out a class with my five-year-old son.
Upon arriving at the museum, we were directed to the classroom, which turned out to be an actual studio. My son was delighted by the authenticity of the workspace and excited to see artwork by other kids on display. Pointing to paintings and sculptures, he kept exclaiming, “I want to make that!”
When the teacher, Therese Straseski, began the class, she told the kids she was going to read them a story about Claude Monet. Once again, doubt kicked in, but I was surprised and relieved to observe that my son seemed interested in a man who made art that others didn’t always understand or appreciate. Who doesn’t love an underdog story?
At the story’s conclusion, which was very brief and age-appropriate, Miss Therese led us into a gallery to view and talk about the Monet paintings on display. Reminiscent of a scene from the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” my son also got a kick out of seeing the images in Monet’s pictures become more defined or more hazy depending upon the distance he stood from the paintings.
We then returned to the studio so that the children could make their own paintings using Impressionist techniques. Convinced that my son would proudly tell Miss Therese that he was going to attempt an Impressionistic rendering of Spider Man, I was truly amazed, and more than a little relieved, when he made a painting of a country landscape complete with a meadow, a decaying timber fence, and geese flying overhead. As my son worked on his painting, he continued to make comments such as, “Look, Mom! You can make a painting by using dots!” and “This is my first real painting!”
Even though, my son has continued his almost obsessive focus on drawing and coloring pictures of super heroes, I strongly recommend Art Adventures for any preschool-age child who enjoys art. The hour-long class was fun and instructive, not just for my son, but for me, also. Miss Therese has a gift for working with young children and making the Museum and its art accessible to them. And, best of all, I know that in some small corner of my son’s mind, he remembers the museum, Miss Therese, and what he learned that day because every now and then, he’ll ask when we’re going to go to art class again.
Art Adventures for preschoolers will be held all summer long (June 8th through August 10th) every Friday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Joslyn Art Museum. Each week, students will talk about different artists, visit various galleries, and then make an art project related to what they’ve seen and experienced. The class is drop-in, so there’s no need to register in advance. The cost of the class is $6.00 per adult/child pair and A$1.00 per additional child for members; $8.00 per adult/child pair and $2.00 per additional child for the general public. For more information, visit Joslyn’s website at www.joslyn.org (http://www.joslynartmuseum.org/).