Take the Kids: Explore the art museum's 'city in the grass'

City in the Grass, an outdoor piece by artist Leonardo Drew, recently opened and will remain at the museum through September. You can find it in the Ellipse, a circle of grass near the museum's parking lots off Blue Ridge Road.

Drew relied on everyday materials like wood, cotton, canvas, paper, steel and aluminum to build a kind of cityscape in the grass. You'll find three towers with city-like skylines made of small wood pieces at the base.

Stretching away from the towers are aluminum panels designed to look like a Persian carpet. The piece is about 100-feet long and 30-feet wide.

According to the museum, "Drew wants his visitors to feel like Gulliver discovering Lilliput as they wander through his bird’s-eye view of a city." “In the end,” he told the museum, “it can be your flying carpet transporting you to wherever you need to be.”

So what makes this family friendly?

Visitors are invited to gently walk or sit on the carpet. There are small spaces at the ends where little ones could even hide underneath.

The tiny skylines are fun to look at and could provide some inspiration for block play at home. (Just note that climbing on the towers and cityscapes is not allowed.)

The museum has some other fun family activities coming up, including regular family tours and storytimes, What's in the Box programs for preschoolers, a Sculpture Race Workshop and a Family Day that focuses on ancient art adventures.