Art & Info

Jasper Johns (born on May 15, 1930) was the subject of today’s Fabulous Fine Art. Johns is an American artist who has painted flags, maps, targets, letters, and numbers. We created replicas of his painting Numbers in Color, 1958–59 using number stencils and dot markers (images coming soon!). Fun fact: On February 15, 2011, Jasper Johns received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

In other news…
On Saturday, October 1, the Memphis chapter of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Awareness Month Committee will sponsor a Communication and Learning Fair at the Children’s Museum of Memphis from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Come to discover many resources focusing on speech language, hearing, communication, learning, development, health and well-being. Learn about and experience:
• Speech-language milestones
• Developmental milestones
• Hearing screenings
• Augmentative communication demonstrations
• Using iPads and iPods for learning and communication
Hope to see you there!

Berthe Morisot!

Berthe Morisot (1841 – 1895) was the subject of today’s Fabulous Fine Art. We created replicas of her painting Peasant Girl Among Tulips, which is on display at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens.

Morisot was a French Impressionist painter whose work is also on display at Musée d’Orsay in Paris. With this activity, we used construction paper, watercolors, and dot markers, and this project was one where each participant’s individual creativity could shine. We’ll be doing this activity again tomorrow at 2 p.m. See you there!


Here is the actual painting!

Fun Project!

Have you ever wondered what to do with children’s books that have been “loved” a lot (i.e., some of the pages are torn out)? Well, you can actually make your own notebook or sketchbook. This is what we did. If you have a book with torn pages but, say, a beautiful cover, this project is perfect.

First, take out all the pages of the book (we like to cut these up to use for collages and other art projects).

Then, grab paper (either notebook paper or computer paper) and trim it to fit, if necessary.

Next, apply glue to the spine (we used Tacky Glue) and attach paper to the it, making sure the paper is collated as neatly as possible.



Close the book, and secure with binder clips.

We let the book dry overnight. The next day, we had our custom-made notebook!

It’s very unique, environmentally friendly and great for kids and adults alike!

Renoir!

The focus of today’s Fabulous Fine Art was Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841 – 1919). Renoir loved to paint flowers, and that’s what we did. Check them out! Also, we’ll do this activity again tomorrow at 2 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Hello September!

September is here! This month will bring some wonderful things to the Children’s Museum of Memphis. There is a new traveling exhibit, Balancing Act, which will arrive on September 17. The interactive exhibit focuses on the physical nature of balance and the body systems that work together to achieve that balance. Through a variety of challenge activities, such as balance beams, bridges and balance boards, you can get into the act and test your sense of balance in a fun, playful environment. Balancing Act will be here until January 15.
Also, on September 30, we will host the first CMOM Children’s Ball. Special guests Cinderella (Valerie Calhoun) and her Prince Charming (Joey Sulipeck) will delight young and old while bringing the fairy tale to life. The Children’s Ball is from 6 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.


Also, autumn begins on September 23. It’s the season of changing leaves, football games, and beautiful weather (full disclosure: autumn is my favorite season). Come visit us this month!