On February 7, our group was treated to a field trip at the Canton Museum of Art. Their current exhibit was "Art of the Rainforest." We were split into 2 groups to tour the exhibit, each led by a volunteer docent from the museum. These were both very kind older ladies who obviously enjoy what they do.
Our group of children followed the kind, but soft-spoken docent around the exhibit hall, listening and behaving very well as she spoke in great detail about the paintings and the plight of the rainforest. She was very concerned that the children understand why it is important to learn about and try to save the rainforest and the animals who live in it.
Admittedly, she was very quiet and hard to hear and her talk was not engaging in the least, but she was very sweet. Near our lunch time, we were given a little time to explore the artwork on our own, which was greatly appreciated. The art was truly amazing! Some of those paintings seemed more like photographs, and I was impressed at the variety of painting styles and other media involved as well.
We lunched together in an enclosed courtyard in the museum, after which we were shown into a classroom across the hall. The children were given a quick lesson in resistance watercolor painting and then were able to color and paint their own picture of the rainforest. This gave some really fun results! Each student, at any level, was able to make a nice painting according to their own abilities.
All in all, we had a really nice time together. The tour was free, and there was a $3.00 fee for each art project.
The museum is free for all visitors on Tuesdays, if you'd like to go yourself. If you are interested in taking a group to the museum, check out their website for more info. Canton Museum of Art
