If you are looking for a culturally-inspired family outing in New York, head for the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City’s Chelsea neighbourhood. The Museum is a dynamic environment that stimulates learning and promotes understanding of its fantastic collection of Himalayan art. Apart from offering a diverse array of exhibitions and programs, including films, concerts, and on-stage conversations, the Museum also offers Family Sundays for children aged three and above and accompanying adults. Held on Sundays, from 1-4 pm, you can enjoy casual art-making and free family-friendly activities. The art activities change monthly and connect with the art and ideas of the Himalayas. The Museum has already published its March/April Family Sundays programmes.
March Family Sundays have been designated Holi Rangoli Rainsticks. Based on the India’s spring festival, it will commemorate the beginning of spring and the final month of the exhibition Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual by making festive, rangoli-patterned rainsticks. April’s Family Sundays are all about sound! Visitors can explore making playful visualisations of the sounds heard in the world around them. Participants can draw, paint, scribble, and emboss to express their visual interpretation. The April Family Sundays coincide with OM Lab, an exhibition and project through which the Rubin Museum will create the world’s largest OM with the help of visitors. Families are welcome to offer recordings of their OMs to be included in the upcoming summer exhibition, The World is Sound.
Another interesting programme is the Birthday Labs. Museum educators conduct the programme, which includes art making time in the Education Center, an interactive tour of the Museum galleries, singing, goodie bags, and more. You can choose from multiple age-appropriate theme and catering options.
The Museum also offers some recurring monthly programmes such as a free one-hour Verbal Description and Sensory Tour for visitors who are visually impaired, free gallery admission for senior people (65 and above) on every first Monday of the month, and a free tour called Mindful Connections for people with dementia and their caregivers. For more details go to rubinmuseum.org