matisse: the cut-outs at MoMA (visiting with kids)

A couple of weeks ago I took the day off from work to spend some time with my mom and my niece and we headed to MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) to see the Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs exhibit. If you are in the NYC area, this is a great exhibit to see with kids that appreciate art. This shows the work that Matisse did at the end of his career using mainly cut paper and scissors. 

Before we went for our visit, my mom ordered a book from Amazon called Henri's Scissors which is a great book to teach children about the creative process behind these cut-outs. I just love the illustrations.

We arrived early to beat the lines:

  
There were no pictures allowed inside the exhibit, so I hope you'll be able to check it out for yourself.

After we saw it we headed downstairs to the MoMA Studio to check out the Beyond The Cut-Out. This is an interactive space where visitors are encouraged to play and explore to learn how the cut-outs emerged. 

We first played with these stamps that were made from source imagery from artist Carlos Amorales. Look at all of those AMAZING images. 

 

 
There were also tables set up for people to create their own cut-outs using fabric, paper and other materials. I am not sure who had more fun…Megan or my mom.

We did get to see some more of Matisse's work later in the day. We picked up some free Art Cards that have questions and activities so you can look at the art together with your child and discuss it. We had a lot of discussion about what these people were doing.

Megan had fun trying to find all the letters in her name on this piece: 

 

We saw a lot of great art that Friday, but I think Still Life with Three Puppies by Paul Gauguin was her favorite of the day.