And the picture books about them!
So, there's this amazing interactive exhibit about Vincent Van Gogh coming to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. I'M SO EXCITED! I'm just hoping COVID-19 is under control enough by summer that we can go. We've sorely missed our museums and music and art festivals, among other things. Sigh. However, there are some amazing virtual exhibits and tours that many museums have made available over the past year or so. Here's a list! Oh, look, here's another list! It's not quite the same though.
News of the upcoming exhibit reminded me of a gorgeous picture book about Van Gogh ...
.. which made me think of many more gorgeous picture books about artists and art, like this one, another of our favorites ...
which led me to make my own list, of course, which you can find on Bookshop!
Now more than ever perhaps we realize how much we need art, music, literature and other forms of entertainment and interaction in our lives. Many performers and artists are struggling right now as the normal means of sharing, selling and getting paid for their work are constrained. Check out your local community, if you can, and see if there are ways to support the creators nearest you. I know we have tried to do some, but admittedly, we have not done enough. I also found these resources:
How to Support Artists and the Arts During COVID-19, which lists ideas for ways to help
Artist Relief Project, which provides ways to contribute and access relief, though I have not looked into it much yet, so you might want to
For now, if you need more inspiration or color, check out some of the books in the list above. My kids love to make art, too, and there are way too many websites out there with drawing and craft ideas for me to share here. You probably have some favorite of your own already. However, just in case, I do have a page with many links to art activities as well as STEM and other engaging things. There's a page with links for more exciting virtual tours, too. I put those together back at the start of the pandemic!
Also, my five-year-old has gotten into making art at home, and he's discovered that he can develop his skills by watching videos. His favorite, which his sister, age 10, turned him onto are the "how to draw" videos from Art for Kids Hub. They have so many wonderful, funny tutorials. Here's one for a hibernating bear if you want to try it out ... Ahem, yes, I enjoy these, too.
Also, I don't know if Mo Willems is still doing them, but for a long time, he did a series of Lunch Doodles tutorials. Here's the first episode, so you, too, can draw Pigeon if you like. Just don't let him drive the pencil.
Finally, I mentioned Mary Oliver in my last bookish post about hope and perseverance. She has a lovely poem entitled "Blue Horses," about a painting by Franz March, which also inspired a picture book by Eric Carle. You can find that book in the list. Here's a snippet from Oliver's poem ...
I do not know how to thank you, Franz Marc.
Maybe our world will grow kinder eventually.
I hope so. You can find the rest of the poem in her collection Blue Horses.
Go make ... or read about and look at ... some art.
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