The Art of Family

Vero Beach Museum of Art Children’s Programs

Foster Creativity

by Chris Fasolino

GOLDEN CROWNS AND WILD FORESTS. Mysterious islands and cheerful umbrellas. Regal lions and stately horses. All have been part of the family programs at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Thanks to the support of a group called the Circle, such creative projects are designed at the museum and provided to the community. Why? Because they can spark the imaginations of children by engaging their thinking, stimulating their creativity, and prompting them to explore the world of art.

The Circle is a special group of Indian River County women who support VBMA family programs with their donations and their enthusiasm. They are the force behind the family programs at the museum. Circle member Barbara Dorvee, who joined in 2015 and now serves on the group’s steering committee, says that she has been inspired by the children, parents and grandparents who participate in the programs, as well as by the dedication of VBMA personnel.

An ingenious aspect of the programs is the way material for children is linked to the museum’s main exhibits. Dorvee has special memories of an event centered around the Maurice Sendak exhibit several years ago. For that show, the walls of the museum had been transformed with scenes of the imaginary forest from “Where the Wild Things Are,” and original sketches by Sendak were on display. It was a wonderful setting for a family event, during which “the children were given gold crowns as they entered the museum,” along with a colorful map to help them explore.

Dorvee’s favorite part was the wishing tree. She recalls, “The children — and adults, too — wrote down their wishes and placed them on the tree. It was a truly magical day.”

While the Maurice Sendak theme was a natural fit for children, family programs have been cleverly designed for all the major exhibits. When VBMA was displaying colorful French posters from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, children were given French-themed stickers upon checkin. After their tour with the docents, they went to the studios for the hands-on project, making posters of their own using colored pencils.

During the 2018 exhibit of astronomy photography, the children made their own images of planets using shaving cream. “I was greeting the kids when they came in, and the minute I told them we were going to be working with shaving cream, they were so excited,” Dorvee says.

When such in-person events were closed down due to COVID, VBMA adapted by transitioning to take-home Studio Art Kits. “I’m so impressed with the ease with which the program, which was so hands-on, has transitioned with the pandemic,” Dorvee says. “I think we actually reach more kids this way.” Indeed, based upon the number of kits given out, participation has increased.

As with the in-person projects, the Studio Art Kits tie in with VBMA exhibits. For the Christo and JeanneClaude exhibit from the Tom Golden Collection, the kits have prompted students to look at photos of the bright yellow umbrellas featured in some of the artists’ pieces, as well as a photo of a group of islands near Miami that these contemporary artists had “wrapped” using pink fabric.

For the island scene, children were given some information and questions to ponder: “Christo thought the pink fabric made the islands look like floating tropical flowers. If you were to name the flowers, what would you call them?” and “Imagine that you are a fish or a bird. What do they look like to you?”

Participant Julie Wilson Meier shares some responses from her 7-year-old daughter, Ava, relating that “Ava says some animals don’t see color, but birds have good eyesight. If the bird saw it, they would probably think, ‘What pink color is this?’ If a fish saw it, it would swim in it and turn pink. She thinks the artists used pink because of its light color. If she would name the flower, it would be ‘pink sea flower.’” Her imagination was sparked by the questions and imagery in the Studio Art Kit.

The Meier family, which also includes son Owen, age 3 ½, also enjoyed a kit that was based on two iconic pieces from VBMA’s permanent collection. What visitor could forget the regal lion standing guard near the entryway? (Thanks to the research of VBMA Curator Anke Van Wagenberg, the once-mysterious sculpture has now been identified as the work of Japanese artist Takahashi Ryoun.)

And then there is Deborah Butterfield’s equestrian sculpture entitled “Saltbox,” which is cast in bronze using wooden sticks. As striking images with animal themes, these sculptures are both great choices for engaging children’s interest, and one Studio Art Kit encouraged participants to make their own horse sculptures using clothespins. Of her children’s reactions, Meier says, “They loved the clothespin-legged horse, and fully expected a tiger project to go along with it! Ha!” Of course, seeing her children’s enthusiasm has been a joy for Meier as a parent. “It’s always fun to see creativity.”

Family programs at VBMA also include Museum Stories, now presented virtually using videos at vbmuseum.org. These, too, tie in with current exhibits. For example, a session about the “Poetry of Nature” exhibit paired the Thomas Cole painting “Mountain Scenery,” which shows an alpine landscape of cloudcapped peaks, with a Dr. Seuss book entitled “Great Day for Up.” The video teaches young viewers how to look closely at a painting and notice intriguing and important details. It also makes a connection with the work of a familiar author of children’s literature. A template for an art project — one with the theme of an adventurous hot air balloon — can be downloaded, bringing a hands-on element even to a virtual story session.

Thanks to the support of the Circle, the VBMA family programs are encouraging children to be creative and to explore the world of art. From forests and islands to lions and horses, there is always more to discover and new inspiration to be found.

VBMA’s innovative programs spark the imaginations of the next generation of Vero Beach art lovers.