Favourite day once again

Well, I must have had a blog for over a year now, because here I am writing about our favourite day of the year, Sculpture Garden Sunday. I love the National Gallery of Australia and I really admire the way they are trying to reach out to families more, with the 'Family Room' as a part of all their big exhibitions - we had a great time in the Ballet Russes one, playing with all the different foam shapes they had in there. I think making art accessible and normal for young children is a big part of their charter, and I told the nice lady who surveyed me on Sunday so. I gave her my mobile and email address so if their director of education wants a chat, he can have one.

As always, there were the usual wonderful construction, creation and artistic stations set up under the trees and around the sculptures by the lake. I have always loved the sculpture garden and have very vivid memories of coming to Canberra on a primary school excursion and being transfixed by the model of Rodin's Burghers of Calais.

This year I let Claire roam free. Needless to say, she headed straight for the clay station with Teffany who runs a holiday program we sometimes attend. Dragon eggs were the order of the day here.

Steph let the inner colour muse run free on her painting, looked up at the sky through a triangular sky scope (so did I) and dabbled in a bit of clay too.

Rosemary arrived a bit later and got creative with the dragon eggs as well.

I had an interesting internal debate with myself about whether children should be allowed to climb on the sculptures. Yes, they are works of art, in a gallery, like a painting. But they are also tactile, solid structures which beg to be touched, sat upon and slid down. Is appreciation of any sort better than none? Do you understand a sculpture more if you can't touch it or engage with it? I haven't sorted that one out yet and if the director of education ever does ring me, I will engage in the debate with him.

However, debates aside. I love Sculpture Garden Sunday. I love that it shows kids you don't have to be proficient at something to enjoy it, that you can spend a day outside getting dirty (you can always tell the first timers because they show up in good clothes) and it's fun, that it's ok to try new things and make stuff just because you want to. I love it that I can be sure of seeing the same friends there every year, that I may only see once a year now. As far as good use of public money, I think it doesn't get much more worthwhile that this. Thanks to the National Gallery of Australia for a great day.