From M.C. Escher to miniatures to Monet, the current exhibits at the Bruce Museum of Arts and Science should please just about everyone in the family. The Bruce Museum, located in Greenwich, CT, has been showcasing art and science exhibits since it was founded in 1908, when a wealthy textile merchant, Robert Moffat Bruce, donated his property to the town of Greenwich with the stipulation that it be used as a museum that would benefit the public. In 1992, the museum expanded its exhibition space, and now welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year. Currently on display is “Stairway to Nowhere: The Art of M.C. Escher”, through February 2. Dutch artist M.C. Escher is a favorite with children because his complex drawings often resemble optical illusions and puzzles. The exhibit features more than 40 pieces of Escher’s work and includes lithographs, woodcuts, drawings, printing blocks, proof prints and artifacts from his studio. After February, this collection will be on permanent display in Athens, Greece. If you have a dollhouse lover in your family, be sure to get to the museum before January 19, when “Small Scales III: Miniature Rooms and Houses” closes. On a recent visit, we had a hard time getting my seven-year-old daughter and her 12-year-old friend to leave this extensive collection of miniature rooms and houses. More than 50 paintings and one sculpture from such well-known artists as Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Pisarro and Manet are included in “Pleasures of Collecting: Part I, Renaissance to Impressionist Masterpieces”, highlighting some of art history’s most interesting periods; this exhibit runs through January 5. The interactive exhibit, “Earth in Bloom: A Natural History of Flowers”, through February 23, is sure to be a big hit with the kids, especially the giant flower that can be dissembled and reassembled. The girls loved the “smell” boxes, where you could lift a lid and sniff down a tube to smell such scents as rose or garlic and try to guess which flower makes the scent. “Changes in Our Land” is an ongoing educational exhibit that features a life-size woodland habitat, wigwam and live animal marine tank. And don’t miss the minerals gallery, another hit with the kids. Opening January 18 and running through April 13 is “Pleasures of Collecting: Part II, 20th Century and Contemporary Art”. This exhibit features works by Picasso, Modigliani and Klee and includes surrealist and avant-garde works, along with striking photography. Upcoming exhibitions include “Hatching the Past: The Great Dinosaur Egg Hunt” from February 1 through April 27. Sure to be a favorite with youngsters, this exhibit will expand your understanding of how dinosaurs lived, and features real fossil eggs found in China, France and Patagonia. “For A Better World: Posters from the United Nations”, running February 8 through May 25, will present 30 posters highlighting more than 50 years of United Nations initiatives in disarmament, peacekeeping, human rights, environmental protection, economic and social development, and the fight against hunger.
January special events Art on Saturdays, Saturdays from January 11 through February 8,1 0:30-11:45am, for first and second graders. Youngsters visit the museum galleries and then create related art projects. On January 20, in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, from 10am-4pm. the museum will offer craft activities for children of all ages. At 11am and 1pm, the Messiah Baptist Church Gospel Choir will perform. Look and See: For Young Museum Visitors, on Thursdays from January 23 through February 13, from 12:30-1:15 pm. This series offers little ones the chance to explore the museum’s exhibits through hands-on experiences, crafts and stories.
The Bruce Museum is open 10am-5pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-5pm Sundays. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for children and seniors; children under five are free. Every Tuesday, admission is free for everyone. Guided exhibit tours are included with the price of admission on Fridays at 12:30pm. The Bruce Museum is just off I-95 at Exit 3 or a short walk from the Greenwich train station. For more information, call (203) 869-0376 or visit www.brucemuseum.org.
