Popular family program Art Splash returns this summer with a new mobile application
Art Splash 2015 June 30–September 7, 2015
This summer families will be able to sample the many pleasures of Art Splash at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Presented through PNC Arts Alive, this lively program provides a variety of ways for kids and grown-ups to enjoy creative play together. Now in its third year, Art Splash 2015 will feature an exhibition, a large custom-designed studio, hands-on workshops and tours, festivals with performances, and a new mobile application especially designed for families.
This popular program attracted more than 35,000 visitors to the Museum last year. This summer, the Art Splash exhibition and studio programs are themed to the alphabet and the natural world, focusing on subjects such as animals, rivers, and trees. Through gallery tours and art making activities, visitors can experience engaging works from the Museum's collection.
Emily Schreiner, The Berton and Sallie Korman Associate Curator of Education for Family and Community Learning at the Museum, who oversees the Art Splash program said, “Our goal is to offer opportunities for families to spend time together in a creative and enjoyable learning environment. Art Splash encourages everyone to feel that they belong here at the Museum.”
The Splash Studio will be the center of the many activities visitors can experience in Art Splash. It will be located near the Museum's galleries and will provide a welcoming environment, including seating scaled for toddlers, older children, and adults. Outside the studio will be a convenient stroller parking area for on-the-go groups. The Splash Studio will be open from Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Wednesday until 7:00 p.m.
Among the special features of this year's edition of Art Splash is an exhibition inspired by the Museum's celebrated children’s book, A is for Art Museum, which teaches the alphabet by highlighting famous works in the collection. Each work of art illustrated in this delightful book corresponds to a letter in the alphabet and is accompanied by questions and suggested activities for families. This book, co-authored by Marla Shoemaker, the Museum’s Kathleen C. Sherrerd Senior Curator of Education, and Katy Friedland, Museum Educator, Special Projects, was published several years ago and has proven to be a favorite of children and adults alike.
In the exhibition, the “A” section will enable children to look for animals represented in works of art. In the “R” section, they’ll find depictions of streams and rivers in landscape paintings; and in the "T" section, a range of delightful renderings of trees.
The Museum will also launch its new A is for Art Museum app in conjunction with Art Splash. This digital way-finding tool will offer families the opportunity to take a self-guided adventure and discover twenty-six works of art throughout the Museum keyed to the letters of the alphabet. As visitors encounter a work of art, text, audio, and video elements will present stories on their hand-held devices. The application will be available on iPad minis for use in the galleries.
Paula Fryland, PNC regional president for Philadelphia-Southern New Jersey, said: “Art Splash presents a wonderful range of opportunities for children and families to experience art in a fun, creative environment. The Museum’s programming reflects the essence of the PNC Arts Alive initiative and our shared focus on bringing the community together by supporting easy access and engagement with the arts.”
Art Splash Gallery and Studio Programs
June 30–July 12 - R is for Rivers
July 14–26 - U is for Up Close
July 28–August 9 - T is for Trees
August 11–23 - S is for Shadows
August 25–September 7 - A is for Animals
Family Festival Days (Pay What You Wish General Admission)
Rivers and Waterways
Sunday, July 5, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.mBring the whole family and enjoy art-making, family tours, and fabulous performances.
Song of the Sea Screenings: 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.Academy Award-nominated Song of the Sea, the hand-drawn animated film based on the Irish legend of the selkies, tells the story of the last seal-child who goes on an epic journey to save the world of magic. Best for children 7 and up.
The Great Outdoors
Sunday, August 2, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Okee Dokee Brothers performances: 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.Grammy Awardand three-time Parents’ Choice Award–winning Okee Dokee Brothers make music that inspires children and their grown-ups to get outside and get creative.
Family Art Workshops
Select Saturdays, 1:00-3:00 p.m.Kids ages 6-12 with an adult $16 ($14)Enjoy creative time as a family. Each class is offered twice and explores a wide variety of media.
July 18 & 25 - Painting Up Close
Aug 1 & 8 - Clay Creatures
Aug 15 & 22 - Nature Prints
Family Tours
Tuesday–Sunday, 11:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.Early Birds: Best for ages 3–5Art Explorers: Best for ages 6–10Imaginative play and participatory conversation introduce art to young visitors and their families.
Family Art Cart
Tuesday–Sunday, noon–3:00 p.m.Museum educators are in the galleries with stories to tell and hands-on activities.
Museum Babies
Baby Bird Playdate
Tuesdays & Fridays, 10:15–11:00 a.m.Toddlers and their grown-ups enjoy circle time with music, games, gallery walks in the company of other art-loving families. Groups meet in the Splash Studio on the ground floor.
Stroller Tours
Wednesdays, July 8 & August 12, 11:00 a.m.Gallery tours for parents and caregivers with babies. Tours meet in Lenfest Hall in the West Lobby.
Hours
The Art Splash Gallery and Splash Studio is open on Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Wednesday until 7:00 p.m. Closed July 4.
Admission
Admission to the Museum is always free for children twelve and under. Admission is Pay What You Wish on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 until 8:45 p.m. and on the first Sunday of every month.
Sponsorship
Art Splash is presented by PNC Arts Alive. Generous support is provided by The Women’s Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Julius and Ray Charlestein Foundation, and Origlio Beverage and The Honickman Group, as well as by Steve and Gretchen Burke, Sondra and Martin Landes, Jr., Dr. and Mrs. Horace Barsh, Jaimie and David Field, Deena S. Gerson in honor of Isaac Henry Hohns, an anonymous donor, and other generous sponsors.
The “A is for Art Museum” app is made possible by Robert and Marta Adelson and an anonymous donor.
Family programs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art are generously supported by Harriet and Larry Weiss and Steve and Gretchen Burke.
Family Festivals at the Philadelphia Museum of Art are generously supported by The Victory Foundation.
Note to Editors
About Art Splash
Initiated in 2013 Art Splash is a family-centered summer program with gallery tours, studio-art creations, and activities inspired by the Museum’s collection. Each year brings a new theme in an alternate location at the Museum. In the first year, Art Splash welcomed 27,000 visitors to the Museum. In 2014 Art Splash grew to 35,000, signaling heightened interest throughout the community. For more information about Art Splash, visit the website at philamuseum.org/artsplash
About PNC Arts Alive
PNC Arts Alive is a multiyear, multimillion dollar initiative of the PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. The goal of PNC Arts Alive is to help area residents gain access to the arts and to help arts organizations expand and engage audiences. For more information on PNC Arts Alive and the grant recipients visit pncartsalive.com
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