Attracting children to art
In the past several years, Greek museums have become particularly interested in making their exhibitions accessible to youngsters and have been steadily organizing a special educational program geared toward young people. The programs usually focus on learning through drawing, via a practical, hands-on approach. More than 10 years ago, the then-new Children’s Art Museum pioneered this practical approach and helped pave the way for future developments. Addressed exclusively to children and comprising an art collection of only children’s art, the museum is where pre-school and primary school pupils learn to paint and, by extension, learn about art and its appreciation. With years of experience and a strong reputation both in Greece and abroad, the Children’s Art Museum is now organizing its first large conference on «Children’s Art – Contemporary Art.» Marking the museum’s 10th anniversary, the two-day conference begins tomorrow at the conference hall of the New Benaki Museum (the museum’s branch on Pireos Street) and brings together specialists from different fields – curators, museum directors, educators, artists – to discuss issues related to art education, children’s artistic creativity as well as more theoretical and aesthetic analyses of children’s art and its kinship with contemporary art. The conference is useful for both art educators and art theorists. On the occasion of the conference, the Children’s Art Museum has also organized two exhibitions that draw on its permanent collections and are held on the museum’s premises in Plaka. The conference will begin tomorrow evening and run through Saturday. For information, contact the Children’s Art Museum (9 Kodrou, the extension of Voulis Street, Plaka) at 210.331.2621 or log on to www.childrensartmuseum.gr.
