Kid's Korner at CCA

We always encourage teachers and educators to bring in their classes of any age to the gallery to experience each exhibit throughout the year. We saw a surplus of kids and teenagers in our space during the Youth Art Exhibition of last month, but it's nice to be revisited.

This morning we had a group of eager early-grade schoolers pour in through the double doors promptly at 11 am. Using their inside voices they expanded into the main gallery. Their collective calm maintained surprisingly well, until they entered the Jewel Gallery which is exclusively recycled art made by local youth. Inside voices quickly erupted into excitement as the kids recognized and critiqued other schools' work. It was quirky to see them become art critics once they entered a familiar subject matter. I didn't mind one bit overhearing their chatter, although their teacher did swoop in and reminded them of their fine-art manners. Commentary went from a loud chatter to an exasperated whisper. It was endearing, to say the least.

With this post, I'd like to remind everyone that an outing to an art gallery, museum or discovery venue kids, whether their your own or not, can be a very rewarding experience. Speaking from my experience at the front desk over the last year and a half, it seems the ratio between moments of satisfaction and awe and temper tantrums or meltdowns is easily a thousand to one, suggesting CCA has a calming and inspiring effect on young minds. But don't just take it from me! Bring the household with you next time.

I didn't have a chance to find the camera and snap a shot of this morning's crowd, but these shots of youngsters discussing and discovering during the Recycled Art Opening Reception will hopefully suffice. -Ren