For kids who love all kinds of art, from drawing to collages to multimedia, the Children’s Museum of the Arts is one of the best resources New York City has to offer. With a wide variety of ever-changing classes, events, and exhibits, CMA creates a community where tots and teens alike can share a common interest in all things creative. Here’s a list of the hottest upcoming offerings from this family-friendly museum. Don’t miss out!
Irish Festival
The first and last weekend in March will be a celebration of Irish American culture fit for families and friends. The closest date of events, March 1 to March 2, will feature classic acts like Owen and Moley, Irish storytellers and songwriters; a Liz Hanley and Creek Schrey fiddle performance; and a paper boat workshop depicting sea vessels as a celebration of traditional Ireland.
March 29 through March 30, the CMA will host an Irish Festival reprise with folk songs by Niall Connolly, an Irish step dance performance by Darrah Carr, and a continuation of the paper boat workshop with visual artist Collette Murphy. This special event will be the sixth annual series of the museum’s Multicultural Festivals.
Cabinets of Wonder: The Art of Collecting
Wunderkammer, a German term for “cabinets of wonder” or “curiosity cabinets,” is the inspiration for CMA’s newest exhibit. The show features collections of artifacts, everyday objects, and items from nature, and it “just opened two weeks ago,” Anna Dubose, the external affairs manager, said, “and filled a new and exciting part of our gallery whose mission is all about collecting and immersing in well-known artists.”
In addition to presenting these intriguing assortments of objects, the museum also decided to create their own Wunderkammer. A 16-foot wall showcases collections from visitors and the CMA community, including children and teaching artists.
YAK and Assembling Identity: Who We Are, What We Collect
Based in part on the Cabinets of Wonder: The Art of Collecting exhibit, this group show put together by YAK (Young Artist Kollective) and TeenArtGallery, is debuting this Friday at 6pm. For this teen-run exhibit, students took on the roles of artists and curators to present works reflecting the concept of what collections are and what they mean.
YAK, a free after-school program for kids in grades six to nine, is comprised of a museum membership and exclusive studio hours where teens can collaborate with teachers to complete art-related homework assignments, develop a portfolio, or simply work on a project they wouldn’t have the means to fund otherwise.
“We really are trying to provide a safe and nurturing after-school environment for them,” Valerie Kharchenko, the manager of museum education programs, said, “Just to meet like-minded people who are interested in the arts, creating art, or just talking about it…just so they don’t feel, you know, so alone. It’s nice to know there’s other people out there.”
Wee Arts Studios
The CMA’s “Wee” arts programs are geared toward children aged 5 and under. Spring classes for little artists go on sale next Friday, and include activities like wee studio, where kids explore materials including homemade play-doh, painting, and collage stations during general hours. Additionally, the museum offers drop-in classes from 10:45am to 12pm, which require no pre-registration and are set in a more classroom-style format with a higher level of teaching artist facilitation and story time.
“There’s all sorts of options in Wee,” Dubose said, “If you want to come for a one-time visit or you want to come for a few drop-in classes, or you want to sign up for a full semester and get the opportunity to create a community for the kids.”
Spring Break Art Colony Camps
One of the best offerings from CMA for children 6-12, is their Art Colony Camps. With Spring break right around the corner, kids can take a break from school while still learning and letting their creative side run wild. According to Dubose, there are three different weeks of options, including both media and fine arts techniques, skills, and themes for the little ones.
“The most exciting part is the full week-long classes, when they really get to dive in to whatever theme or medium is that week,” Dubose said. “Like for spring break we have printmaking, Drawesome, and graphic novel. So a wide variety of really art-focused, but fun, camps.”
Additionally, the museum offers Art Colony Camps over the summer, where classes occasionally occur on Governor’s Island, giving kids a unique opportunity to learn in a cool environment.
