Why do children go to the museum? To learn art? They go to school? Can a museum be a school? Or the commandment “not to touch”, the academic seriousness and the notorious boredom of the museum halls is something inevitably inherent in the vaults of culture?
But there are, in addition to museums, there is a lot of other places where art is happening. And this art “goes to people”. For example, the art workshop of art arts (LLC “New Ceramics”) makes such ceramic handmade products, which takes a breath (in the photo). Talented masters, using the technique of unique ceramic painting, make a truly works of art. We advise everyone to see and enjoy these works. Or maybe even purchase.
Now we will make a small tour of the museums in the world to answer the questions raised at the beginning of the article. Let’s see how young visitors are met in museums of different countries.
In the USA, children are not just frequent guests in museums. There are special museums for children here. Their creation began back in the 1920s under the influence of the pedagogical concept of James Dewey. From the very beginning, children’s museums were conceived as an alternative to the school. The school opens the world mainly through the word, in the museum reality is given to the child directly – in the visible, tangible three -dimensional subjects. Moreover, unlike adult museums, everything is possible here (and it is necessary!) touch, master the touch and in motion.
In their content, children’s museums of interdisciplinary. Their goal is to reveal the world to the child in his diversity. Therefore, they are not built according to the canons of academic disciplines and resemble long -forgotten Kunstkamers. From the African ritual mask and copies of the Egyptian tomb with a real mummy to the model of the diamond molecule, increased by eight billion times, which you can climb, from the skeleton of mastodon and a huge human jaw to the model of the Apollo spacecraft – this is an incredible range of exhibits, such museums. Any child is not just passionate here, he finds a lesson by age and interests.
To be continued…
Based on material from the magazine “Family and School”
