On Thursday we took a small group into the museum to examine the work of another Screens artist, Penelope Umbrico. Her piece incorporates various types of electronic displays in an interesting layered installment. With so much to look at, we brought cameras and journals for the children to document what they saw.
What we discovered was a very different notion than what we had expected. Equally (or possibly even more) engaging as the art itself were those spaces in between, those everyday elements within the museum that most often get overlooked by adults.
From the lofty staircase to the Linde Gallery
to the railing at its base, children seemed to relish in some of the more subtle details during our visit.
Parker – Hey Avery, that’s sparkly just like you.
A ladybug attracted perhaps the most attention as we watched her journey from the floor, onto our pencils and then her ascent up to the artwork itself.
With a little help from Sarah, the children were able to examine this piece and share with us those details they noticed. They welcomed the opportunity to document their findings through pictures and drawings – some wire, writing, pink rectangles and three distinct arrows.
However, upon later reflection of our visit, we found an overwhelming interest in much more. Many of those photographs the children took were of each other, their journal drawings, museum lighting, and of their own hands and feet. What a very different picture we see when viewed through the lens of three and four year olds.
While their experiences may have been different from what we anticipated, children nevertheless are certainly making connections as they move through these encounters. We look forward to reflecting alongside the children. Exactly what lasting impressions will they have taken away from our visit?
