iArt4KidzBlog: Museum Studies Students Share the Love @MaierMuseum

Lynchburg, Virginia is very lucky to have the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College. This is an exceptional college art museum with a very interesting collection, provocative exhibitions and active arts education programs for the Randolph students as well as K-12 students in the area.

One selection of supplies for making Valentines at the Maier.

Yesterday the Museum Studies students hosted a family event for making Valentines, part of their annual two-part celebration of art and artists, centered around the mood and aesthetics of Valentine’s Day. This year’s Love at the Maier was held in conjunction with the current exhibition, Venetian Visions: Selections from the National Gallery, London, on view through March 31, 2016.

This was my favorite table of supplies. Was it the rich red color that got me?

I went to make Valentines but had much more fun wandering around seeing what the kids were doing. Seven or eight tables had been set up with a variety of supplies designed to facilitate the construction of a different card/mask at each station.A Randolph college student helped the kids at each table. The place was packed.

Feathers ruled the day.

As you can see, masks and feathers were very popular with the crowd, mostly kids under 8 years old and their parents/grandparents. There was a buzz of quiet excitement as they worked away on their creations...except for the occasional little girl running around to show off her feathered mask.

I was amazed how well even young kids were able to sew yarn on a doilies. Here are two great examples.

Beyond the yarn, each doily was decorated with markers and illustrations.

One table had glue and small pieces of tissue paper. These were used on pieces of construction paper to mimic stained glass. Here is a very colorful one designed to reveal a heart when opened.

Thank you Maier Museum for offering these family programs that bring the community together, share your amazing collection and help kids develop the confidence that comes with making art. The pride the kids felt for their work was palpable.

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