The Art Assignment - Extra Credit!
"Please Do Not Touch" with Art and Architecture Conservator Richard McCoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHoans4ChMQ&list=UUmQThz1OLYt8mb2PU540LOA
This is actually an old photo from May 2012. My daughter, 2 and a half at the time, and I went to the opening of the ArtZeum, the children's interactive museum space at the Jepson Center in Savannah. That section of the museum encourages kids and families to interact and touch and be a part of learning about art.
After we finished there, we explored the rest of the Jepson Center. We wandered into an installation of light, LED and neon art pieces. Forgive me for not entirely remembering, but I believe the work is by Leo Villareal. Having just finished in an area where we were SUPPOSED to touch, my daughter was drawn to these light pieces like a moth to the flame. However, I had to remind her that in some places in the museum, we had to only touch with our eyes.
The other thing this video made me think of (and this is the second time I've mentioned this movie in context of The Art Assignment!) is the 1983 Sesame Street special, Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The old school Sesame Street cast is locked in the museum overnight looking for Big Bird. At one point Bob and Cookie Monster find themselves looking at some works of Paul Cezanne. While Cookie desperately wants to eat the paintings, Bob points out there is specifically a sign that says, "Please don't eat the pictures."
"Oh, this is going to be long night..." laments Cookie.