You might not think an artist who focused a lot of his work on showgirls and courtesans would be the most kid-friendly, but the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit going on at the Chrysler Museum now is one of the most enjoyable we've been to for a long time. Toulouse-Lautrec's world wasn't only dance halls, it was also a wonderful place where bears walked through the city on leashes, women dressed like wedding cakes with their skirts billowing around them and everything was just a little brighter and richer than it seems now.

Anouk really enjoys the kids books set in Belle Epoque Paris (Madeline series, Diva and Flea, the Family Under the Bridge) so a lot of these sights and scenes were familiar to her. But there were some unfamiliar things, too, including a wonderful exhibit of Japanese woodcut prints that were both beautiful on their own and interesting in the way they influenced Lautrec's work. A stop by the little art station let the kids put everything together in making art of their own. Another highlight was the repetitive whirling video of a can-can dancer twirling and whirling in a fascinating loop.

Right now the Lautrec exhibit is going on just next door to the amazing Infinite Possibility exhibit (more on that later!), so a visit to the Chrysler is definitely encouraged. The Paris of Toulouse-Lautrec is on exhibit until June 17, 2017.

Part II of our Chrysler Museum visit was my favorite: seeing the paintings by Henri Matisse on display as part of a loan program with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Matisse might be one of my favorite artists, if not THE favorite, so this was a big deal for me, and I was excited to introduce Anne to his work. In preparation for the visit, I checked two picture books on Matisse out of the library: The Iridescence of Birds, which covers Matisse's childhood inspiration and the way it influenced his use of color, and Henri's Scissors, about his famous cutouts. Warning, that last one might make you cry if you are even remotely hormonal.



Our own Fauves were a little worn out by the time we reached the Matisses, thanks to the awesome video game exhibit we visited first, but they listened patiently as we read to them and looked at the paintings (Anne particularly loved the one with the sailboats and pink water). There are so many great ideas for Matisse-inspired kid art projects, I kind of can't wait to start on that.

The Matisse exhibit will be at the Chrysler through the end of June.

More spring break adventures! Can you tell that Molly and Co. are our partners in crime this week? This chilly gray afternoon took us to the Chrysler Museum to see two current exhibits -- I'm splitting our visit into two posts because both were so great they deserve their own.

The first exhibit we saw was the much-anticipated Art of Video Games (at the Chrysler through May 10) -- basically, a complete history of video games from the very beginning to the current day. Around the room were stations where you could see each gaming system and listen to a bit about it, and in between were little stands where you could try out some of the games (Super Mario Brothers, still got it). This was maybe the most fun part of the whole thing, except for the vintage arcade games at the end (seeing A. play "Pac-Girl" as she calls it was maybe the highlight of the year so far for me).

Nobody else in our group seemed to really love it but for me another highlight was the screen set up to show peoples' faces as they played different video games -- I found it fascinating and could have sat and watched it for hours. Why do so many people look so grim when they're playing? It was very intense.

I'm an advocate of less-screen-time-is-more (in theory at least) but this exhibit really made me want to break out some of our old gaming systems to introduce to Anne. Dad, do you still have that Atari???
Matisse next week, happy weekend!

 ^^ Molly should go on the road as a professional Pac-Man player. That's a career, right? ^^

There's a little over a month left to see the Worn to Be Wild exhibit at the Chrysler Museum (click here for an online preview). And it really is a great one, so this is good news if you haven't seen it already. The collection showcases the history of the leather jacket, and its journey from practical aviator and motorcyclist garb to punk rock staple and fashion must-have. Leather jackets everywhere, all kinds and colors and shapes -- painted, studded, pierced, furred, rhinestoned -- even a crystal clear one. It was amazing, how one particular garment can be interpreted in so many ways.

The exhibit isn't specifically for kids but was a good one for our two little toddlers -- there was a lot to see and a big open space in which to run around and see it. We all took our time choosing our favorites, even the little ones (Anouk didn't like the studded jackets -- she thought they looked mean -- but was a big fan of a like $10,000 one worn by Fergie. That's my girl.) Plus, the interactive space at the end (you can sit on a Harley! And try on leather jackets!) was super fun (for all of us).












The Chrysler is really bringing it lately with awesome shows! While you're checking out Worn to Be Wild, don't forget to head upstairs and look at the Smokey the Bear exhibit and the Fractured Lens exhibit, featuring Picasso and Braque, on loan from the National Gallery in DC.

Thanks to the giant duck, you probably know by now that the Chrysler Museum has reopened. We were really missing it in the year and a half that it was closed -- it's such a great free place to go with kids and their programs are really top notch. A few weeks ago, our playgroup met up to revisit this old favorite and see the changes that were made. The Chrysler has such a nicely curated collection of things to see, it's really a treasure box of a place.

The main thing that impressed us was that the museum is a lot more interactive for kids and adults alike, now. There are plenty of places to sit and reflect and some special ways to share your thoughts and some of your own art, if you are so inclined. We also liked the community gallery, which allowed locals to vote on and assemble their favorite pieces of art all in one place. The kids were extremely taken in by some of the exhibits, namely the modern art wing and the exhibit on mummies including, strangely, the kind of gross video that plays on a loop there. Sadly, they didn't seem to want to spend much time in the photography exhibit, which I was looking forward to, so we'll have to plan an adults-only visit soon. We all loved the new courtyard, with the fountains and trees and gravel paths, it was a great place to hang out for a while and run off some steam (depending which age group you belong to).




There were a few kinks -- some of the display cases in the artifact rooms are too far above the kids' heads which meant there was a lot of hefting them up to see, over and over again, and the children's art room (drawing supplies, giant beanbags!) is situated in probably the most echo-y spot in the whole place which was awkward at times. But overall we are really loving the new and improved Chrysler and looking forward to our next trip.

Have you been inside the Chrysler since it reopened?

It's Memorial Day this weekend, but James and I will be celebrating something else on Saturday: our 11th wedding anniversary! I realized a few days ago that I'd never really shown Anouk the photos from our wedding, so I pulled out the albums, thinking she would really get a kick out of seeing Mama dressed up like a princess. Her response? "Can I watch Ninjago?" Yep, the princess phase might be waning in our house.
Happy anniversary to the world's best husband, who makes lattes that would put a Starbucks barista to shame and never says no to impromptu road trips. No regrets, except maybe that Instagram didn't exist when we got married. #sosad #maybenexttime

(Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.)

We might be the only people in the #HRVA area who have not yet gone to see Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck, floating in the Hague in downtown Norfolk. Luckily, we have until Monday to get there. To see Rubber Duck in other places it's been exhibited, and read more about the artist, click here.

Have you heard about the giant, four-story waterslide going up at Ocean View Community Park? It looks awesome and it opens today!

I love this link on books that predicted the future (Jules Verne pretty much rules at this).

How to win at rock, paper, scissors EVERY TIME (or at least enough of the time to be statistically significant).

10 outdoor games to make with rocks (finally something to do with all those pebbles hanging around our house).

And in honor of Memorial Day -- this video takes a look at Norfolk in WWII, through old photographs, and gives some really interesting history of our city. Long, but worth it.

Speaking of Memorial Day, over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads, I'm writing this week about some Memorial Day festivities happening around town and some outdoor family fun at First Landing State Park. Have a happy weekend!

I've never hidden the fact that our little family love love loved going to the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk together (you can see some of our previous outings here, here, and here). The day it closed its doors in 2012 was a sad one. (Just so you can get a scale of things, that photo up top was taken only a few months before the museum closed! Look how small Anoukie was! There's nothing like a baby growing up to help you mark time).

Well, after a lot of work by a lot of dedicated people, the Chrysler Museum is set to reopen in May even bigger and better than before and we can't wait. For the Friday Five today, I thought I'd let you all know the main reasons why we're so excited about the new Chrysler Museum.

1. There's going to be a giant inflatable rubber duck floating in the Hague. Seriously: giant. The 40-foot (yacht-sized) sculpture by Florentijn Hofman will be bobbing through downtown Norfolk from  May 17 to 26 to celebrate the Chrysler's reopening.

2. There will be an extended sculpture garden outside the museum, featuring some pretty amazing geometric mirrored sculptures by Danish artist Jeppe Hein. I know we parents are always looking for an outdoor space where our kids can run free and still reap some cultural benefits, and this looks like just the spot.

3. One of the exhibits we have to look forward to when the museum reopens is Worn to Be Wild, a history of the leather jacket that shows this quintessentially American item of clothing's "journey from function to freedom to fashion." The exhibit, which is on loan from the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, will open in October and I can't wait.

4. As an amateur photographer and longtime lover of all things photography (the smell of a good old film darkroom is still one of my all time faves), I'm really looking forward to the Frank Photography Galleries, which will document the various forms of photography across two centuries. It promises some pretty amazing history and good looks at old-fashioned photo equiment and techniques.

5. In honor of the re-opening, the Chrysler is offering a new membership level, according to AltDaily.com: the $40 young professional membership. This will get you into some exclusive events at the museum and its glass studio AND the members-only reopening party.

...so are you excited yet? Let us know how much in the comments.

P.S.: This week I wrote a guest post for MyActiveChild.com about the Hermitage Museum's Stories and Songs program. I also started pinning to the HRVA Bloggers Pinterest account -- check it out to find posts by some of the area's best bloggers all in one place! Finally, stop by the Friday link party at Virginia Bloggers to leave yours!

Happy weekend!

I love creative playdates! A week or so ago, Anouk and I joined friends to go and see visiting artist Gianni Toso work live in the Chrysler Museum's glass studio. And it was probably my favorite of our adventures around town to date -- such an inspiring, educational, and colorful experience. I've never seen anything like it before (not even in all my poking around for things to do).

I'm not sure what I expected -- maybe something like the glassblowers at Jamestown? Sort of campy and fun? While this was definitely fun, there was far less of a boisterous vibe. Things were quieter, more focused, as the artist worked and the people sitting in rows of chairs around the workspace watched intently. Occasionally, a staffer with a microphone would step up to narrate what Toso was doing as he switched tools, or melded two different colored glass rods and stretched them into a delicately twisting ribbon. Classical music was playing while he worked and there were also large monitors hanging around the room so that even the people in the back could see. Toso comes from a family line of glass makers spanning back 700 years (that's not a typo), and he himself has been doing this for six decades, so you really want to be able to watch him closely, and luckily, you can.


Anne and her friend C. really enjoyed strolling around the perimeter of the room and looking at all of the work done by glass studio resident and visiting artists -- the more colorful or intricate it was, the better. To be completely honest, though, this was probably one of those outings that was more exciting the parents than the kids, at least in our case. S. and I were fascinated by the whole experience, but I think they were just too young to appreciate it fully. However, there were many older children in the audience -- ages 6 to 8 or so and then some older tweens and teens -- who seemed as into it as we were. So that's probably the best age group for this event.

The next nearest museum-affiliated glass studio in the U.S. is in Toledo, Ohio (there are only five in the whole country), so we are very lucky to have this one so close to home. And there are many opportunities to visit. The Chrysler's glass studio presents free daily demonstrations at noon, every Wednesday through Saturday, and regularly offer classes, workshops, and Third Wednesday parties with booze, music, and glass art demonstrations. You can find out more on the studio's website, and you can see more of what these remarkably talented artists do on the studio's YouTube channel.