Modcontempern art museums for kids? Nah

I will admit I am not artsy, especially not visually.  I think Hopper’s Nighthawk.  I like various renderings of Yoda.  I naturally am interested in art that I understand.  I like to understand what the artist was feeling or the story s/he was telling.  Throughout the years, in various cities like New York, Boston, and Austin, I’ve tried Modern/Contemporary/Abstract Art Museums. In cities I’ve lived like Chicago and Ann Arbor, I’ve gone several times to get modern art.  It just merits a shrug from me.

The biggest reason, I think, is that I’ve haven’t ever studied the basic elements of art.  So, when I see a one foot diameter circle, drawn in pencil, over and over again, I think it looks like sophomore year Geometry class, not art.  I admit that.

I also admit I wish modabern art galleries and/or museums would give the viewer/visitor a little more. What is the artist’s story?  What is he/she trying to represent?  What was he or she feeling?

Emoting.  I know that is what I am supposed to do when I look at modern art.  I am supposed to look at the pile of laundry strewn across the ground and think of my responsibilities in life, the distress of the human condition, or the stench of humiliation the artist felt.  I can emote.  For ten seconds.  Then, I want to move past the post modern approach to art and get to the puzzle.   What does this pile of clothing mean to the artist?  What was his/her life like?

There just isn’t enough description.

I’ve also typically found people at abstmodary art museums to be snooty.  They don’t want questions.

I realize this piece might sound like sour grapes.  It might be.  Maybe there are great modern/contemp art museums.  I don’t want to over-generalize.  On the other hand…I have never experienced one.  I’ve experienced enough modcontemp museums to see some trends.  I’d just like to give fellow parents some advice, so they don’t have to struggle through like I did today…

You can see that I probably am not the best advocate of a modern art museum.  I do want to let me kids see, feel, and understand art and other things that are completely beyond me.

On a summer day, I took the three kids to MOCAD.  I thought modern art was a way to connect to the youngsters, who struggled with all the religious and royalty paintings at the DIA, would enjoy seeing paint/poo splattered on white walls in the name of art.

I was wrong.

When we got there, the entry person was very enthusiastic that I brought my kids.  She gave me a map and a warning not to go into the movie because it contained adult themes.  Great, I thought, that helps.  Then we went to see the art.  There were several people, as my kids charged ahead from what my daughter described as “someone scribbling on the wall” that gave us dirty looks. 

I felt badly for disrupting the whole bare warehouse feel of the place, I mandated everyone hold hands.  

However, it was hard to get into the “there’s no one else to blame” exhibit while holding hands.  I let the kids free.  Several people with nametags on started barking at my kids, who were trying to touch materials that should be touchable.  Like broken disk drives or crayons melted together or sketches on sticks.  No warnings on the art. 

The kids got scared.  I got mad.  First at the guy yelling at them.  Second at them for not listening.  Third at myself for bring the kids to a modern art museum.

I understand it is not a hands on museum.  The mad looks at my kids trying to get into art would not have happened at a hands on museum.  Or the DIA, for that matter.

It seems like if you want kids and adults to engage with modern art in a post modern way, you should let them touch the art.  Feel the art.  Emote? 

Right?

Wrong.

So, I forced handholding, as much as I could through the rest of the exhibits.  Some of which were disturbing.  Some of which were confusing.  None of which taught the kids anything about art.

Here is why I am not taking the kids to a modern art museum until they hit double digit age.

1.  I don’t understand the art
2. It is not self evident to my kids.
3. There is no help to understand the art
4. What the emote is boredom and wanting to leave
5. People are too picky that you might knock over their conglomeration of balloons with a dog-head mounted on the top
6. Everyone wants to shush the kids
7. It makes me be overly strict
8. Museums should be fun
9. In my experience, the modern art workers think kids should not be allowed into museums
10. They don’t learn anything.

Unless your home modern art museum varies from what I describe above, pick a hands on center, a history museum, or just look at some modern art on the internet.  Modern art museums=not for kids.