San Francisco: The New Exploratorium!

I confess I was a little disturbed when I first learned that the Exploratorium in San Francisco was moving. Its historic home at the Palace of Fine Arts is so singular, so perfect, that it just seemed heretical to consider moving. On the inside, "Palace" is bit of a misnomer; the interior is raw, industrial, and vast. The setting is beautiful, of course, and the buildings are a romantic dream - who can forget those mysterious grecian ladies, forever peering into the depths atop their columns (the ladies are even visible on Google Maps!). Then there is the lovely lagoon, complete with swans (I'm not sure if the swans are still there, but I remember them from childhood visits). There is something very Californian about the happy contrast between the industrial, the natural, and the classically beautiful - between science and romance. The place was designed by Berkeley architect Bernard Maybeck for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, and was never intended to last...  But it did, for a good long time (it was renovated in 1965).  

(photo from the San Francisco Parks and Recreation website)

The Exploratorium in 1977

Exploratorium Founder Dr. Frank Oppenheimer

One thing that was truly fantastic about the Exploratorium (and I hope it carries over into the new space) was its transparency. New exhibits were always being created on-site, in nearly full-view of visitors. It was fascinating to be able to peer into the workshops of the incredibly creative and clever elves who made the Exploratorium the magical place it was.

The new museum is at Pier 15, and promises to be spectacular, so I won't sulk for too long. The museum is keeping hundreds of its old exhibits and adding 150 more. The space will be divided into six  areas of focus: Human Phenomena, Tinkering, Seeing and Listening, Living Systems, Landscape Observation, and an Outdoor Gallery. Have a look at their website - it looks like a fantastic place.

The Monochromatic Room

Studying Plankton Populations

The new site will also be far more accessible, particularly by mass transit - and that is something to celebrate. It's fairly close to the Embarcadero Bart station, and is on the streetcar route (these vintage beauties are also fun for kids). It's also only steps from another of my favorite places, the Ferry Building Marketplace (which I wrote about here).

Luckily, the old building isn't going anywhere, although it's not yet clear who or what will take over the space.

All photos from the Exploratorium website, except where noted.

Visiting Museums with Children - Making it Work!

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa

Art museums and children are a tricky combination.  We want our children to be exposed to great art, but museums don't always feel like the best place for this introduction - they are typically large, quiet, dignified places, often with crowds and lines.  Not exactly child-friendly oases filled with tolerance, paper towels, and cookies.  However, taking your kids to art museums can be very doable, provided you prepare carefully.

Here are some things that have worked for us, in no particular order.  The common theme -as always with kids - is: be flexible!

1. Don't expect transcendence.

Don't expect instant reverence for art; do cultivate a playful attitude towards art.  Look for art with interesting details that will appeal to your child's particular interests - try to spot all the animals in those 19th century european paintings for example, or imagine the feats of engineering required to produce that huge contemporary sculpture.

2. Minimize your financial investment.

Many museums have days or time periods when it is free to visit the museum.  I find it a lot easier to walk out of a museum after a mere 10 minutes (it happens!) if I haven't paid $30 or so to get in.  I figure I've seen at least one or two great pieces of art - and there's always next time!

Profiterole by Claes Oldenburg

3. Scope out the food options beforehand.

Find out ahead of time whether the museum has a decent cafe, or whether it's close to a good picnic spot.  Also find out whether you can leave the museum and return a little later - you may be able to step out of the museum for a quick snack or treat, and then return to see more.

Susumu Shingu Sculpture at the Hakone Open-Air Museum in Japan

4. Consider the taste of your audience.

Just as you have your own tastes, so does your child.  If you suspect that they may not have the patience for room after room of Old Masters, consider a sculpture garden instead - or the 20th century design museum, or the Naval History museum, even if there's less "art" to be seen.  Better to find something that will grab your child's attention a little bit (and give them some breathing room), than to turn them off the museum-going experience entirely.

5. Tag Team

This isn't always possible, but when you have two or more adults in your party, take turns with the kids.  This gives each adult at least a bit of quiet alone time with the art.

Louisiana Museum Children's Wing (in Denmark)

6. Look for museums with special facilities for children.

Many museums offer some sort of activity or experience tailored for children, and some even have special rooms or wings dedicated to children's art-making.  We had a fabuous experience at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, which has an entire wing dedicated to children - it's a particularly thoughtful and inspiring place.  Check in advance if activities are offered at particular times, and plan your visit around them if possible.

The Rodin Museum in Paris

7. Think Small

Smaller museums often have smaller lines, fewer crowds, and are just smaller in scale.  It's also easier to make a quick escape if things suddenly get loud or messy! It may also be easier to visit several smaller museums during a trip than one grand one - meaning that your child is exposed to more art (as well as a wider variety of art).

8. Figure it out before you go.  

Before you leave on your trip, do some research. Find out what museums are in the area, when they are open (and when they are free, if applicable), whether they have facilities for children, whether they have a cafe, etc.  Decide what your options are before you go is much easier than figuring it out on the fly. 

9. Get into the creative spirit yourselves

Before your trip, make some art similar to the type you plan to introduce them to - make sure your kids have some recent experience in painting, sculpture, mixed-media, etc - it will help them relate more immediately to the work.

Washington D.C.: Roy Lichtenstein at the National Gallery

Here's a big new art exhibit that may grab the kids' attention, and yours too - Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective just opened at the National Gallery in Washington D.C.

The paintings (the exhibit includes sculptures and drawings as well) are fun and thought-provoking - I'm fascinated by the Mirrors series and I think a child would be too!  Even if they're not usually excited by museums, Lichtenstein's work will likely get kids thinking about the possibilities of art, and how different ways of doing things (comics, big serious paintings) can relate to eachother.

The exhibit runs through January 13, 2013.

Upcoming LiveStream: Century of the Child from NYC MOMA

A while back I posted about the exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900-2000.  The exhibit runs for a few more weeks, through November 5.

This Friday afternoon (U.S. Eastern Time), the Museum is hosting a symposium entitled The Child in the City of Play, which will be livestreamed. While not directly related to travel, the symposium will touch on themes that should be inspiring to travelers with children, including the intersection of Cities and Play.  I plan to listen to at least part of it - join me!

Japan: The Hakone Open-Air Museum

We’ve been dreaming about traveling to Japan lately.  One child-friendly place I don’t want to miss is the Hakone Open-Air Museum.  Visiting a conventional museum can be tricky, but this is a museum where my child can wander and play and explore to his heart's delight.  And so can I!

The art is varied and fantastic; the focus is modern and contemporary sculpture.  Pieces are rotated seasonally.  There is also a large (indoor) collection of work by Picasso, featuring mainly ceramics but also including paintings, sculpture, and more.

"Floating Sculpture" by Marta Pan (1969)

"Miss Black Power" by Niki De Saint Phalle (1968) 

"Engraved Wind" by Flow Masayuki (1979)

The museum is particularly child-friendly. They offer a special map for children incorporating a finding game; it includes a stylus which “reads” the name of each piece when it’s pointed to on the map.  

Interactive Children's Map

Children are also admitted for free on Saturdays. Many of the sculptures are interactive, including an indoor play area, a big outdoor maze, a spiral staircase enclosed by stained glass and glitter, and a giant sculpture made from colorful netting. 

Forest Castle Bubble (left) and and The Net (right)

I love The Museum's description of The Net (as translated by Google):

“Let me play with abandon play sculpture that is felt in the whole body, the senses and the sense of color modeling through play.”

Sounds good to me!

The San Francisco Bay Model

After spending an afternoon in San Francisco, we drove north across the Golden Gate Bridge and spent an hour at the amazing Bay Model Vistor Center - a working model of the entire bay water system and much of the Sacramento River Delta. The model was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1956-57 to demonstrate what would happen if the South Bay were dammed and infilled (as had been proposed).  Using simulated tidal action the Corps were able to prove that the results would be disastrous - the plan was, thankfully, shelved.  

The model (which is still owned and maintained by the Corps) is still in good shape and is admission is free.  It is well worth a visit with your kids.  The model is enormous (over 1.5 acres), and you can wander around the whole thing. "Tides" go in and out every 14 minutes, and water flows through the delta, into the bay, and out through the miniature Golden Gate. 

In addition to the model, there are displays on the history of Bay Area watercraft, the Marin Shipyard, World War II generally, and the modern workings of the bay.  Lots of models and artifacts and maps and other interesting stuff!

A model of the Marin Shipyard as it looked during World War II; the square building just left of center is where the Bay Model is housed today.

The view from outside the Model, looking towards Tiburon

If your children are reasonably calm and patient, try to squeeze in a visit to the Heath Ceramics store, which is also in Sausalito.  They make the most beautiful ceramics, and sell lots of other beautiful housewares too.  In the back, they sell seconds at a good discount (often it's hard to tell what the "problem" is).  When we visited, there was a little wooden playhouse in the courtyard outside the shop, making it easy to tag team (it's not the most child-friendly shop, unless your child is very good at keeping their hands to themselves).

If you still have time, there is another beautiful little store in Mill Valley (a few minutes north on Highway 101) called Mint.  It's tiny but carefully stocked with the most beautiful things for children and grown-ups…  When we visited, the proprietor seemed delighted with my son trying out various display toys.  Right down the street you'll find The Depot Bookstore and Cafe, which is not in itself stellar, but is a good spot for taking a break - the kids can play in the square out back while you sip your cappuccino on the back patio.

New York City: Century of the Child

Series of personifications of childhood misdeeds, 1930

This new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City looks like lots of fun: Century of the Child surveys the period from the turn of the last century, when the concept of childhood as a special time apart from the world of adults really took hold. The exhibit takes inspiration from Swedish "design reformer and social theorist" Ellen Key's 1900 book Century of the Child.

Lego building bricks, 1954-58

One of Them Had Polio, Skilled Teamwork Brought Recovery, 1949-50

Crosby Chair, 1998

The book "...presaged the 20th century as a period of intensified focus and progressive thinking regarding the rights, development, and well-being of children as interests of utmost importance to all society." The exhibit features historical toys, games, furniture, posters, and other fascinating artifacts.

Child's Wheelbarrow, 1923

Optical Color-Mixer, 1924

War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things, 

by Lorraine Schneider, 1966

My son was particularly taken with a photograph of a set of over-sized furniture, made so that adults can experience what it's like to be small.

"Maxi" set including Tripp Trapp chair, by Peter Opsvik

The show includes special art programs for families; see the calendar for details and dates. You can also explore the exhibit online here. 

Favorite Places: The Girard Wing at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

There are many beautiful spots in Santa Fe; it’s just a magical place.  Perhaps this is due in part to its age; people have been living here since the 10^th century.   That sort of thing alone will give a town a particularly rich energy.  The city’s decision back in the early 20^th century to mandate building styles in keeping with the town’s existing character (lots and lots of low-slung adobe) also contributes to the feeling of enchantment.  Besides just looking pretty, the small human scale of the town has been largely preserved, making it a great place to be with kids. 

If you venture up into the hills, you will find one of my favorite places in Santa Fe: the Girard Wing of the Museum of International Folk Art.  The whole museum is worth a visit, but the Girard Wing is unique.  It contains textile designer Alexander Girard’s collection of folk art and toys from around the world – approximately 106,000 items. 

Girard not only contributed the items, he also designed the permanent exhibit space to hold them.  It is a fantastic space.  Colorful and maze-like without being overwhelming, it showcases the objects at various eye-levels (including some at near floor-level).  It invites people of all sizes to wander and explore.  Everything is behind plexiglass, but many displays can be seen from multiple perspectives, making viewing a more dynamic experience. Toys are arranged in a frequently humorous way, creating an elaborate tableaux or telling a little story (sometimes the story is enchantingly ambiguous).  

I happened to be without my son during my visit, unfortunately - but other children I observed were utterly delighted.  I can't wait to go back, kid in tow.