Art museum's family programs launched with grand opening

The grand opening this weekend for the new N.C. Museum of Art offers plenty of activities for kids.

Posted 5:34 p.m. Apr 20, 2010 — Updated 5:36 p.m. Apr 20, 2010

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

I'm excited about the opening of the new N.C. Museum of Art. The building looks gorgeous and I can't wait to walk inside.

But I also missed all the family-friendly programming that the museum offers. Now that they're reopening, museum staff is filling out the schedule. As I wrote earlier, Dan Zanes and lots of family-friendly movies are on the museum's summer schedule this year.

But there's plenty for kids at the museum before the summer, starting with the reopening of the museum this weekend.

The festival runs Saturday and Sunday and is free. But you will need tickets if you want to get into the new building. So if you plan on attending, be sure to click here for all the details so you don't run into any surprises when you go. No tickets remain for the concerts scheduled for Saturday and Sunday nights.

The festival also will include five Creation Stations, mostly in the park theater, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Kids can strike a pose Rodin-style and take home photos as a souvenir; make a frame for your photo or artwork; and make some paper designs or sculpture. There also will be live entertainment throughout the weekend and artist demonstrations.

And if you plan on going, bring a box of markers, colored pencils or pastels. The museum will be holding an art supply drive to make donations to schools across the state.

The museum's family programs will resume in May. They include:

the very popular Family Fun Saturdays at 10 a.m. every Saturday in May (and planned for every Saturday throughout the year). The workshops are for kids ages 4 and up and their adult and include an opportunity to learn about art and make a project. Registration is required for the free workshops. Call (919) 664-6743 to sign up. The topics for the Family Fun Saturday will be NCMA in 3D on May 1; Come Fly with Me on May 8; Inside and Out on May 15; and Playing with Art on May 22.
Preschool Playshops: What's in the Box? is scheduled for 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. May 13 and May 27 for kids ages 2 to 5. Kids and their adults will discover a new adventure in the box each week. This free program includes a self-guided gallery activity before or after the sessions. No registration required. Preschool Playshops will be offered on two Thursdays a month throughout the year. The Preschool Playshops topics will be Swing and Sway on May 13 and Shimmer and Shine on May 27.
The museum will offer Art Encounters for kids and families, an interactive gallery resource designed to help visitors experience art in new ways. The free materials will be available at two Art Encounter carts at the museum. Themes include "Be a Color Catcher" and "Are You Game."
And the museum's Wonderful Wednesdays children's performance, weekly performances for kids on Wednesdays, will run from June to July. The museum will offer Saturday performances once a month, along with drop-in craft programs, from October to April.

Stay tuned for more on these as the museum sets the schedule.

And if you're still looking for summer camps, looks like the museum has a few openings left.