As the resident “Thespian Mom” here at AMB, I am all over finding great places to expose my kids to the arts. I am a firm believer in art education, and feel like most schools lack the funding to provide a comprehensive education. I also totally believe that art education starts YOUNG!
We have exposed our boys to art, music, and theatre since they were tiny. Hudson is a huge fan of museums – even having his 4th Birthday party at the Austin Children’s Museum complete with a Night At The Museum theme and costumes! (The Austin Children’s Museum is currently undergoing some changes and will be moving to a new, inspired space, called The Thinkery – we cannot wait to check it out!!)
We feel so fortunate to live in Austin, where there are SO. MANY. awesome options to explore art.
Here are some of my favorite places:
Theatre:
I’ve blogged before about my love of theatre and taking kids to shows – one of my favorite spots is the Zach Theatre. They have a whole season of educational and family based shows that are perfect for the littlest audience members. The 2013-2014 Family Season is kicking off at the end of the month and you can get all three shows for only $45! Totally awesome!
Music:
Austin is full of music opportunities for families – we’ve talked many times about the various family-friendly concerts in the park with Blues on the Green, Unplugged at The Grove, and Austin City Limits Music Festival. But, another great way to expose your kids to more classical music, is at The Austin Symphony. They have fun family programming, including an awesome event for Halloween – kids and families can listen to spooky Halloween themed music, while dressed up in Halloween costumes, which sounds super fun to me!
Art:
The Contemporary Austin is a way cool place for all ages. It provides a variety of educational opportunities for audiences of all ages to engage with contemporary art. Especially cool is their Second Saturday’s for Families.
“Every second Saturday of the month, The Contemporary Austin offers hands-on art-making workshops at Laguna Gloria, inspired by the exhibitions on view. Join us between 11am–3pm to see family-friendly performances, meet local artists, and make art to take home. Recommended for ages 2–11.”
The Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum provides educational experiences that encourage the understanding and appreciation of sculpture! Like the Contemporary Austin, Umlauf also offers monthly family events.
“First Sundays offer a special, hands-on program designed for families with children, four to fifteen years old. Families have the opportunity to explore the Umlauf collection and exhibitions in the garden and museum while engaging in creative activities. Family First Sundays feature Story Time with BookPeople (1pm), Sculpture Scavenger Hunts and much MUCH more!”
You should also totally check out Austin Museum Day at the Blanton Museum. Sunday, September 22, from 12-4 PM, ordinary objects inspire extraordinary creativity at the Blanton Museum of Art! You can view their “special exhibition, Lifelike, to see how contemporary artists use unexpected methods and materials to recreate everyday scenes and objects. Then participate in special art-making and looking activities designed to help you see the world in a whole new way.” Even better: the museum opens an hour earlier on this day, and admission is FREE!
There are so many more amazing spaces in the Austin area to get your kids engaged with the Arts. I hope that you’ll check some of these out – and let me know: What is YOUR favorite place to explore Art? I’d love to add it to our list!
