Yesterday at The Childrens Museum they finally opened Dale Chihuly's Firework's of Glass Exhibit and Tower. I must admit I was very skeptical about this exhibit. I didn't really see it's place in a Childrens Museum. Sure it looks pretty, and its a huge artifact for the Museum's collection, but that shouldn't be the be all and end all of it. I wondered aloud many times, where could kids go with that after they had seen it. I thought that little Suzy couldn't exactly go home and ask Mom for a glass blowing kit for her birthday now could she? It just seemed inpractical. It may still be really. However, yesterday at the unveiling I found myself much more impressed with the structure and the exhibit itself than I anticipated being. I also noticed many ooh's and ah's from children as they stood underneath the tower and close to it on the ramps. The tower itself is suspended and 43 feet high. It's visible in part even from the main entry of the museum if only you look straight ahead to the Museum's core. It's hard not to be awestruck by it. It truly is a magnificent structure.
Childrens's museums need to be more about just science and history. There needs to be a place for the arts. That's a given. The Childrens's Museum of Indianapolis has been great about that in the past and continues to be now. This sculpture at the Children's Museum surely opens up a massive door of posibilities. Here is to hoping that they find a way to utilize the wonder and awe of the children and supplement the entire exhibit with more programs for the arts.
3 comments:
I agree that there definately needs to be more arts related stuff in children's museums.
The schools aren't getting it done anymore so hopefully parents (and museums) can help pick up the slack.
It looks so beautiful --- you must be very proud to be part of it --- I bet it is neat to see the kids eyes looking at it.
MOM
Mom - It's definately neat to see the kids eyes raise up and mouth "wow" when they see it. There is a rotating bed below it, where you can look into a glass ceiling of other pieces of glass that is kids just get mezmerized on as well.
joel - i agree with you from what i read about most schools not getting it done. but if a museum gets an artifact like this that alone is not enough, in my opinion. it needs to be suplemneted with either classes on art history, or workshops or something. something to take that "wow" moment and harnass it into actual loving breathing creativity. man am i coming across preachy. luckily i think The Children's Museum does that.
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