Nasher Sculpture Center
2001 Flora St., Dallas
Dallas Arts District
214/242-5100
nashersculpturecenter.org
Hours: 11am–5pm Tue–Sun. Open 10am–5pm first Sat monthly.
Admission: $10 adults; free for ages 12 and younger. Free first Sat monthly.
Parking: $10 at the Dallas Museum of Art’s underground garage; metered parking is available on surrounding streets.
To one child, the amorphous artwork inside Dallas’ Nasher Sculpture Center titled “Balls Congo” could resemble a faceless octopus with bulbous tentacles. Another might see the ceramic piece as a flower or even a peeled banana. No matter how you look at this or other works in the exhibit Ken Price Sculpture – A Retrospective, on view through May 12, there is no right or wrong answer.
The idea behind appreciating modern sculpture – and having a worthwhile visit to the Nasher Sculpture Center with your family – is not to search for literal interpretations but to recognize the feeling that you get from each work of art. Founder Raymond Nasher, who began the world-renowned collection in 1954 that now includes pieces by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Auguste Rodin, followed the same philosophy. Nasher often said that he and wife Patsy only bought works of art that gave them butterflies.
Find the butterfly-inducing pieces that speak to you and your children with a visit to the center, open since 2003 in the downtown Dallas Arts District. Each month the museum hosts Target First Saturdays for children when it opens early with free admission all day and family activities from 10am–2pm, timed just right to last until naptime.
The kids can get their hands dirty with art demonstrations like mixing plaster with local sculptor Michael O’Keefe, take short family tours, do drop-in art activities that relate to the monthly theme, and go on an art scavenger hunt through the galleries to earn prizes. The activities are designed to connect what the kids already know about art to the world of modern sculpture. Each event includes a special performance and yoga class in the center’s integrated sculpture garden.
Outside the kids can study sculptures of bronze, steel, concrete and wood from every angle including artist Mark di Suvero’s Eviva Amore, a large steel sculpture you may have picnicked underneath at a ’Til Midnight at the Nasher event. A kid favorite is Joan Miró’s Moonbird, a smooth sculpture cast from bronze and made up of crescent moon shapes. Look for the Moonbird icon on signs through the permanent collection for designated stops on the self-guided family audio tour. Each selection incorporates music and explanations to engage the younger crowd and helps make those connections between exquisite art and a child’s growing understanding.
