If you live in Los Angeles and are looking for a great Sunday activity for the kids, we highly suggest a trip to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) for their NexGen Art series, the nation’s only free youth membership museum program. Every Sunday kids under 17 can sign up for a free LACMA membership entitling them to complimentary admission (with a plus one for an accompanying adult).
There are programs for children throughout the day at different age levels from how to tell your family history through art to watercolor painting in the Korean gallery annex. Spending an hour or so painting with our children in the annex before heading off to the new modern wing was great fun as well as a reminder of the incredible diversity of Los Angeles. It’s always fascinating to see kids from all different cultural backgrounds wander through the galleries and notice what catches their eye –something unusual or all too familiar, perhaps in a surprising color or size. That first reaction — “Why IS that man so big?” (to Thomas Hart Benton’s The Kentuckian) to “That’s like a ship!” (to Richard Serra’ Band) and finally “Why is that monkey gold . . . and what’s up with that man? ” (to Jeff Koons’ Michael Jackson and Bubbles) reminds us why we love the museum.
We were also pleasantly surprised when we wandered into the gift shop and saw one of our favorite books, Bunny Days by Tao Nyeu, featured prominently on its own table in the center of the store. Tao is an incredibly talented writer and illustrator we have the pleasure on knowing here in Los Angeles. Her tale of six white bunnies and a helpful bear should be on your must-read list!
