The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is holding its largest NGV Kids on Tour event this year, with 150 community venues across the state playing host to the free sessions, providing fun and inspiring art experiences to both children and teenagers.
The event will take place across several dates this month, with locations including the Wallan Library, Kilmore Library, Broadford Customer and Library Service Centre, Seymour Customer and Library Service Centre, Kalkallo Community Centre, Mernda Library, Lalor Library, Mill Park Library, and Thomastown Library.
Run alongside the NGV’s summer exhibitions Yayoi Kusama and Cats & Dogs, NGV Kids on Tour celebrates the work of local and international artists and designers.
Children can look forward to plenty of art activities in celebration of the Cats & Dogs exhibition, including the chance to design a Furry Friend Headband and a set of cat or dog ears inspired by their own beloved pets or animals.
Children will also be able to get involved in the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama in the Lots of dots with Yayoi Kusama activity and children’s book.
Inspired by Ms Kusama’s lifelong involvement with pumpkins, which have featured in her art since her childhood on a seed and plant farm, the drawing activity invites children to add their own colours and designs to a pumpkin, alongside a short poem about the humble fruit.
Younger children can also enjoy story time sessions with the Lots of dots reading sessions, where they will encounter big dots, little dots, and shiny dots.
In other explorations of art, Melbourne-based fashion designers and sisters Fatuma and Laurinda Ndenzako from slow fashion label Collective Closets have developed the Fashion, Culture & Creativity with Collective Closets activity, where families can create paper dolls and design their own vibrant clothing for the dolls to wear.
Diving into all things nature, children can also learn about bogong moths in a drawing activity developed by Dr Deanne Gilson, a proud Wadawurrung woman living on her ancestral Country of Ballarat.
NGV Kids on Tour also invites teenagers to learn about the creative practices of emerging artists, and build skills for their own art portfolios through an activity developed with Gamilaroi Yinarr weaver and textile artist Sophie Honess.
The Make a Pompom with Sophie Honess activity invites teenagers to create a bush flower-inspired pompom using yarn, embroidery thread, and colourful felts to use as accessories on bags or key chains.
The tour will visit Kilmore Library on January 14 (today) and 23 and Wallan Library on January 15, 17, and 21.
The Broadford Customer and Library Service Centre will be busy with the program on January 16 and 22, while the Seymour Customer and Library Service Centre will host their sessions on January 15, 17, and 21.
For more information on the program, visit www.ngv.vic.gov.au/kids-on-tour.
