As visitors step into the art space of the Boston Children’s Museum, they encounter plush carpets, gentle lighting and an array of silver shapes undulating in the air and reflecting off the walls. Gazing up at the sculptures, the museum’s young explorers giggle, spin in circles and dream up their own artistic endeavors.
The art program at the Boston Children’s Museum, a longstanding centerpiece of the institution, has two components: the Art Lab, which is an activity space for children, and the Gallery, which showcases the work of practicing artists. The program combines art education and playful, hands-on experimentation to nurture curiosity and promote a love of learning.
Senior Art Educator Sage Brousseau develops programming for the Art Lab and organizes the Gallery’s two annual exhibitions. She said that the purpose of the Art Lab is to provide a studio for children to explore art without constraints or expectations.
“The Art Lab is a process-based studio where we’re welcoming in visitors of all ages to just really experiment with the creative process, with different materials and techniques, and try making some art,” Brousseau said.
Boston-based artist Sophia Moon, who is a guest teacher in the art program, works with the museum to provide activities for visitors to the Art Lab.
Moon said that the art forms and methods explored at the Art Lab unlock children’s artistic imagination, encouraging them to approach problems from new perspectives. For example, she teaches visitors as young as six years old how to make and use prints.
“If you want to make a potted plant in art, you think about it in terms of, ‘I can draw it, I can paint it.’ Today, we’re giving them a whole new way to approach creating that, and I think angling into something from a different perspective or a different methodology or process helps kids understand that there are multiple solutions to a given problem or a creative expression,” Moon said.
Brousseau said that the Gallery at the museum features work from a variety of local artists whose work is originally intended for adults but is interesting and accessible to children and families as well.
“The Art Gallery is very much designed to be a visitor’s first experience seeing or viewing art in a gallery or museum setting and really learning about how you appreciate art, how to think about art and what art might mean to you,” Brousseau said.
Although the Art Lab and the Gallery serve distinct roles, Brousseau said that the current Gallery exhibit on the kinetic sculpture of artist Bernie Zubrowski is thematically linked to the activities in the Art Lab. Children use hole punchers and paper fasteners to create works that resemble Zubrowski’s rotating wire sculptures.
Museum visitor Fatima Essa said that the Gallery inspired her son.
“It’s been very helpful, actually, with my son. He loves coloring and painting, so it’s definitely helpful for him to open his mind about how he can express his creativity,” Essa said.
Brousseau said that the overarching goal of the art program, shared by both the Art Lab and Gallery, is to give children a chance to explore and to have new experiences.
“Success for me is really just, did a visitor have the chance to try something, and did they enjoy whatever they were able to take away from that experience?” Brousseau said.
Brousseau said she is dedicated to enhancing the art program and fostering its growth in collaboration with the families who engage with it.
“It’s constantly evolving because our visitors are always new to us. There are so many people who bring so many new experiences to us, and I’m constantly trying to find something exciting and different to bring to the visitors,” Brousseau said.
Moon said that the art program, like the museum in general, is fundamentally built on blending education with enjoyment.
“It’s about opening up creativity,” Moon said. “I think the Boston Children’s Museum is all about leaning into playfulness and leaning into learning in a playful atmosphere.”
