Tiny Thursdays

Join us on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays!

Join us on Thursdays for our child and caregiver preschool program where children ages 3-5 and a caregiver (baby siblings welcome) will have a story time in the galleries, followed by an art project in the classroom. Each story, artwork and art project are related to the monthly theme. Each individual session investigates a new story and DAI collection artwork. This is the opportunity where sparks of creativity and connection to the museum’s collection begin!

Dates and Themes: 

January: Line

• January 4: Patterned line drawings
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: Experiencenter Gallery
  • Students will learn about the different types of lines (zig zags, squiggles, straight, spirals, etc.) and then draw overlapping lines onto a piece of paper to create colorful patterns and textures.
• January 18: String line textures collage
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: Experiencenter Gallery
  • Students will learn about the different types of lines (zig zags, squiggles, straight, spirals, etc.) and then create those lines with string, gluing the string onto them to create a textured collage.

February: Shape

• February 1: Shape Batik painting
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: Red Circle by Dwinell Grant 1939.39, Gallery 203
  • Students will learn about the different types of basic shapes (circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, etc.) and then draw several overlapping shapes of their choice with oil pastels onto watercolor paper. The student will then paint over their shapes with watercolors to create a unique batik-resist effect.
• Feb 15: Shape texture relief sculpture
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: Untitled by Louise Nevelson 2003.7, Gallery 201
  • Students will learn about the different types of basic shapes (circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, etc.) and then use a variety of recycled materials and pre-cut cardboard shapes to create a simplified low-relief sculpture in the style of Louise Nevelson.

March: Color

• March 7: Watercolor stain texture painting
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: The Seasons by Kenneth Noland 2001.54, Gallery 201
  • Students will learn about the primary colors and then how to mix those colors to create the secondary colors. Students will experiment with watercolor staining techniques on watercolor paper to create and mix a variety of color combinations resulting in a colorful abstracted painting!
• March 21: Colored cardboard creature sculptures
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: Elephant Walk by Richard Jolley, 2008.7, Glass Gallery 123
  • Students will learn about primary colors and secondary colors while creating colorful creatures with cardboard, pipe cleaners, markers and more!

April: Flowers

• April 4: Paper flower shape collage
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: Garland of Flowers by Jan Fyt, 2005.94, Gallery 215
  • Students will learn how to combine basic shapes and colors to form flower designs and shapes. Students will cut, tear or form shapes on paper and collage them together to form a small, colorful bouquet of flowers on paper!
• April 18: Abstract Flower Pipe Cleaner and Model Magic Sculpture
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: Aurora Red Ikebana with Bright Yellow Stems by Dale Chihuly 2001.87, Gallery 123
  • Students will learn how to form basic shapes in model magic and combine them with pipe cleaners to form flower sculptures that wiggle and wobble!

May: Animals

• May 2: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA
• May 16: TBD by the new program lead
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA 

June: Butterflies and Bees

• June 6: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA
• June 20: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA

July: Outer Space

• July 4—NO Session due to Holiday
• July 18: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA

August: Trees and Landscapes

• August 1: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA
• August 15: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA

September: People and Portraits

• September 5: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA
• September 19: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA 

October: Birds and the Seasons

• October 3: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA
• October 17: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA

November: Food

• November 7: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA
• November 21: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA

December: Buildings

• Dec 5: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA
• December 19: TBA
  • Featured Gallery / Artwork: TBA

Can’t make it to the museum? Check out Tiny Thursdays…at Home! These creative projects to make at home help connect our collection to your family, regardless of distance. Looking for more family fun? Check out our ARTventures family program!