Early exposure to art can lay the foundation for lifelong appreciation. But, as U of A fine arts communications lead Salena Kitteringham, '00 BA(Hons), can attest, even an artsy parent can slip up. She recalls with chagrin one visit to a sculpture gallery with her then-five-year-old son. "He was just out of reach, and I could see the wheels turning as he reached his hand toward the statue. It was almost like slow motion: Noooooo! Fortunately, he just brushed it." Kitteringham offers some tips to make sure all your shared memories are fond ones.
1. First, take care of the basics. "Make sure you go when your kids are rested, fed and watered."
2. Have a conversation in advance. "Prep your kids. Children really do look with their hands. Sometimes that doesn't work so well in a gallery setting!"
3. Take advantage of kid-friendly programming. "Many of the best institutions out there are primed for kids. They'll have an area of the gallery that is really hands-on and multi-sensory."
4. Don't underestimate your kids. Explore beyond the kids' room and you might be surprised by your child's capacity to appreciate art. "Kids are naturally imaginative and curious beings," says Kitteringham. "Even contemporary art that doesn't have a literal story - maybe just shapes and colours - can provoke a child. They can take it in."
5. Spark their imaginations. "Ask them some questions," Kitteringham urges. "What do those colours make you feel? If you could hear this painting, what would it sound like? Those seem like sophisticated questions, but kids don't put barriers on their thinking the way some adults do."
6. Splurge on an annual pass. A pass provides freedom for quick, no-pressure visits rather than daylong ordeals. "When we had a pass, we went to the museum a lot," recalls Kitteringham. "My son enjoyed the routine of going to visit all the sections that he knew."
