LIFESTYLE
AN ART-FULL APPROACH TO LEARNING By: Melanie Schwebke, Curator of Education at the Briscoe Western Art Museum
T
he words “art museum” tend to bring to mind a sterile environment where you can hear a pin drop. And certainly not a place for children to roam, explore and get their hands dirty. But the days of museums being someplace where children are shushed, and kept at arm’s length, are long gone. Museums like the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio open their doors, and actively encourage children to interact with, and learn, through art programming. Far more than just looking at art, museum programming like drop-in classes and artist demonstrations provide children with a way to connect with information in different ways. Whether it’s reading, listening, creating or even smelling, museum programming takes information taught in classrooms, and presents it in a variety of ways that children can connect with. And that includes hands-on learning. Why does that matter? The brain actually goes through changes when we look at art. Studies have shown that looking at a painting, sculpture, or other artwork increases blood flow to the brain by as much as 10%. That’s the same reaction you get when you look at someone you love! Regular exposure to creativity also results in higher test scores. Young people who participate regularly in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. Many studies show that children regularly engaged in creativity — such as painting and drawing classes and handson activities — develop a greater capacity for problem solving, risk taking, visual understanding and communication skills. These are vital life skills that allow children to grow and develop into successful and healthy adults. Through programming, children can also learn more deeply about the world. They can discover new things about their way of life, city, and home, or experience positive affirmation of their prior experiences. These experiences lead to a greater love of themselves and their world. A greater understand-
ing of the world around them leads to greater empathy, tolerance and critical thinking. Museum programming can also be the space that families learn, explore and discover new things about each other and their world. Ideally, families will gain a greater understanding of art, science, history but also find the personal connection and flash of curiosity. Through the personal connection, the spark to learn and question will continue within the family even after they have left the museum. One of the goals of family programming is to ignite a curiosity that will linger long after the program is over. Wondering how your family can step into the world of art? Seek out experiences like this summer’s “The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America” at the Briscoe. The exhibition’s gallery guide turns your family into art investigators, showing you how to evaluate art. You can then put those skills to work evaluating works and voting for the ones you feel best fit. And for sheer fun, your family can truly step into some of the paintings on display: our interactive shadow wall puts you in the picture. You can also meet some of the artists featured in the exhibition. Through Labor Day, enjoy “Cowboy Creations” featuring members of the Cowboy Artists of America demonstrating their artistic techniques, talking about
MANY STUDIES SHOW THAT CHILDREN REGULARLY ENGAGED IN CREATIVITY — SUCH AS PAINTING AND DRAWING CLASSES AND HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES — DEVELOP A GREATER CAPACITY FOR PROBLEM SOLVING, RISK TAKING, VISUAL UNDERSTANDING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY VALERIE GRANT, CEO AT GRANT HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS LLC
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SHALE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2022
