Juror's Statement
December 2002 Art for Children Show
My goal in selecting art for an exhibit for children is always the same: to inspire children to talk about what they see, to speculate and to create meaning. Almost any conversation about art is productive, whether the discussion is about subject, medium, color, or even making jokes. All of these dialogues indicate that art is being noticed and evaluated, and that observational skills are being practiced.
I chose works with subjects that children often depict in their own artwork, things like nature, sports, home and family. I selected a variety of media, moods, and topics in an effort to illustrate how varied art can be. Some artworks lend themselves to storytelling. Some require us to use our imaginations to decipher. Some have a sense of humor. Some just have an interesting use of materials. All of the artworks had to demonstrate a sensitivity to medium and composition. We cannot hope for children to appreciate art without first providing them access to quality art.
Heidi Leigh Eitel
Exhibit Designer
The Capital Children's Museum
Juror's Dialogue
by Pat Gerkin
The Art League is pleased to present a special show focusing on art that children can enjoy, relate to, and learn from. The show, jurored by Heidi Leigh Eitel, artist and Exhibit Designer for The Capital Children's Museum, is installed at a child's eye-level. As Ms. Eitel instructs, "At the Children's Museum, we use the standard of 54" to the center so that it is lower for the children but at a level that adults can also enjoy it, because after all, the show is intended to encourage a discussion between children and parents or other adults."
Ms. Eitel's philosophy for the show was to design it to appeal to children. "Children have a variety of interests, and that allows me to choose from a wide variety of subject matter. If the work is not of interest to them, they will not be encouraged to talk about it to their parents," she emphasized. "I chose works that had an element of humor, because children love a good laugh. For example, I chose the photograph of a man picking his nose (B.J. Anderson). These are things that children will find funny. I chose works that depict family, because this is very important to children. From a child's point of view, the most interesting subject matter comes from what they know and what they need--family, nurturing, comforting subjects. I chose subjects that were friendly, sports, homes. Homes are very popular subjects in their own artwork so of course they will be interested in that subject matter in other artists' works."
Ms. Eitel explained that children's interests are similar to adults, but they come at their interests from a different angle. They focus on things that are immediately around them and on their own basic needs. Although subject matter is heavily weighted in her selection process, she also considered the quality of the work. "If you want children to love art, you have to show them quality artwork," she stressed.
"I tried to choose works from every medium submitted, every size, and a variety of styles--from realistic to non-objective. I chose works that will inspire conversation, something to speculate about. In the business of children's exhibits, we use the term 'meaning-making' when a visitor approaches an exhibit or an object. They don't want to be told what it means. They want to put their own meaning into it. That is what is exciting for them. It allows them to participate in the process to some extent," she noted.
"I did not try to avoid serious or dark subjects, but there weren't many scary submissions. The scariest one was the 'bad cat' (C. Hillis) and I chose that one as well, because I think that children may relate to admonishment. I didn't select work just because of its bright colors. I chose some with minimal colors and some with dark colors as well. I chose three equal awards--the penguins (V. Federov) because they were very friendly, holding hands; the birds, hippos, and other animals (C. Brunsvold) because it allows the children to speculate on what the birds are saying to the animals behind them and it would generate some conversation; and the sculpture of the bears (D. Hoffmann) because it was tactile, nurturing. I can imagine that every kid who sees it will want to stroke it."
"My favorite discussion among the children and their parents is when they begin speculating on how one of the characters in an exhibit or in a piece of artwork might feel. There are so many forms of meaningful dialogue. We generally feel that an exhibit is successful if the exchange between the child and the adult goes back and forth at least four times. That is considered a really rich conversation about the artwork," Ms. Eitel says. One thing that is really important for parents to remember. If you want your children to love art and respond to it, then you must take the time to stop, look at the work, and discuss it with them. They will begin to do the same as they watch you. This is really a great opportunity for parents to gain new insights from their children. It is a great way to have a certain discussion without talking about yourself or them. It promotes openness and honesty," she emphasizes.
Advice to the artists: "If you want to paint for children, paint something that children can imagine a story around. Children love detail. The art in this show seems to oversimplify. Artists make it simpler instead of more complex. (Think Richard Scarry and his detailed stories). It is more interesting for them to keep noticing new things about the painting or the sculpture."
Advice to The Art League: "Consider having an art show of work by children. It is very important for children to see the work of other children and the very finest work of other children. It is more valid for them to compare their work to the work of other children. They can't be asked to compare their own artwork to the work that these adults have made. If you choose to do a child's show, then do it with the same dignity and importance that you do for an adult show. You will be surprised at how innovative some of the children are. They can sometimes offer competition to adult artists."
This page was last updated 12/23/2002.