We spent our morning at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) today! (Please Note: this is a very picture-heavy post!)

The children enjoyed viewing the two exhibitions currently on display at the LCVA. Upstairs, we looked at the student-constructed exhibit on Ancient Egypt. Many of the items were three-dimensional constructions, including paper-maiche animals, pyramids, and an obelisk. The LCVA staff told us about how these items were created using repurposed materials such as egg cartons and boxes. The children eagerly responded that they are very much familiar with using repurposed materials, as we do this very frequently in the center! The crocodile in the Nile River was by far the biggest attraction, with several children saying that they “wanted to play in there with the crocodile.”

Ms. Mindy asking for our thoughts on the exhibit

Ms. Martha showing us the obelisk

The crocodile in the Nile River!

The LCVA staff was very welcoming of our classes, and engaged in meaningful dialogue with the children as they viewed the exhibits. Rather than just deliver information about the pieces, they asked the children to analyze what they were seeing and express their opinions about it, connecting it to prior experiences they may have had. This led to very rich discussion which kept the children engaged in what was happening.

After viewing the Egypt exhibit, we went downstairs to see the Youth Art Month display.

Walking down the large staircase with Ms. Mindy

We first started by looking at our school’s artwork, which was displayed on the preschool wall featuring art by other children our age. We read the names on the labels and gave each artist a round of applause to celebrate their creations!

After taking some time to look at our work, we then went around the exhibit to see what other students had created. The walls were full of beautiful pieces, which sparked much interest and discussion!

Ms. Martha showing us around, talking about how art can look different from different perspectives

The children were drawn to the three-dimensional works on display, just as they had been upstairs in the Ancient Egypt exhibit. Listening to their commentary, they seemed to be fascinated with the blend of creative and constructive processes. This is an interest I had picked up on during our project work and studio explorations at school recently as well. Perhaps we will offer some provocations that focus on exploring the affordances of three-dimensional mediums during our project work?!

Just a few of the many three-dimensional works on display

After our visit, we walked back to school just in time for lunch. During lunch, we talked about what we had seen at the museum. The works on display seemed to provide lots of inspiration for future project work, as the children eagerly talked about their favorite pieces and what they wanted to “make.” It was truly amazing to see just how big of an impact art can have on the curiosity and thinking of a preschooler. We are so thankful to have the LCVA as both neighbors and as partners in our preschool programming. I will be watching closely to see how they incorporate their experiences today into their play and explorations this week!