Get Their Art On
The expression ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ rings true when we consider a toilet seat hanging on the wall of a gallery as art.
Let your kids behold everything from Canadian to contemporary art, paintings to mixed media at the National Gallery of Canada.
We love that art comes alive for kids at the National Gallery of Canada’s Artissimo, an interactive display (for kids 3 and up) open weekends year-round and daily in the summer. Kids become part of the art when they don reproductions of clothing from paintings and explore the gallery looking for the matching artwork. Art Buddies, replicas of figures from gallery paintings, are available to borrow and the dolls provide the perfect focal point for a tour through the collections. Back at Artissimo there are endless crafts to be made, wooden structures to be constructed and giant masterpieces to be recreated on the floor using scraps of fabric.
To beat the crowds, arrive when the gallery opens at 10 am. Brown bag lunches can be eaten in Sketches near the main entrance, but we like to visit the Cafeteria des Beaux-Arts. The cafe’s reasonably priced meals (huge breakfasts are noteworthy) are a treat to eat by the large glass windows overlooking the Ottawa River and the Parliament Buildings.
Until September 3, 2012, Van Gogh: Up Close explores the artist’s love of nature. Older kids will want to examine Van Gogh’s brush strokes and use of colour, while younger kids will be happy to look at the vibrant paintings. Read the exhibit pamphlet in advance and let the kids choose a painting or two to search for once inside.
Good to Know: Admission to the gallery is free for kids under 12.
Finding out about the National Gallery isn’t news. Knowing what great programs they have available for kids is newsworthy.
Know what else is newsworthy? These 6 Cultural Activities in Ottawa.
Tested by Brie M., Ottawa
