Curious critters both on museum walls and in the Mattapan wilds are waiting to intrigue youngsters during the upcoming February school vacation week. Next Monday cultural organizations in Dorchester and across the city begin offering a wide range of options for parents wondering how to get their offspring out from underfoot and involved in some enriching programs during the holidays.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has free activities for kids all week. The MFA just opened a charming show, “Paper Zoo,” featuring 50 depictions of animals by celebrated artists from the 16th century to the present. Although it can be appreciated by visitors of all ages, the exhibition is hung at a special child-friendly height in the Clementine Brown Gallery. Among the pieces drawn from the MFA’s permanent collection are a cartoonish drawing of lions by Alexander Calder and a woodcut print of an adorable, if prickly, porcupine by Leonard Baskin.
To complement “Paper Zoo,” the MFA is offering several animal-related activities during its Cogan Family Foundation Vacation Week Adventures (February 20–24), which has as its theme, “Beasts and Beauties.” From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day (until 8 p.m. on Wednesday) children’s tours will be available every 15 minutes. Story hours will be offered at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and art-making activities will be available throughout the day, including sketching in the Brown Gallery, where “Paper Zoo” is on view.
Families can also meet live animals brought in from Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln, sketch them, and learn about them from naturalists. Space is limited to 30 visitors during each half-hour session. This program takes place in the Druker Family Pavilion in the MFA‘s Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art.
Among the programs closer to home is the Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy February Vacation Music Program, February 20 -24 at the Lower Mills Campus. Some of the activities include Music Theory, Violin, Voice-Chorus, Tin Whistle, Percussion, Ensemble, Art/ Clay /Portraits, Musical Theater and Drama. There will be a performance on February 24 to showcase what the students have learned. Applications are available at each PJPIICA campus. Direct inquiries to Mrs. Mary Swanton at 617-265-0019, ext 7007.
For more outdoorsy kids, Mattapan’s Boston Nature Center offers four age levels of its four-day “Exploring the Winter World” series. BNC staffers lead exciting experiments and creative crafts with the wintry elements. They invite young adventurers to dive into winter through hands-on investigations, art projects, games and activities like collecting snowflakes, hiking in snowshoes and building snow shelters and “snow animals.” Fees are based on a sliding scale. Call 617-983-8500.
A final note: Savin Hill’s Liz Carney has just taken over as Executive Director of Dot Art. She notes that during the transition the beloved community arts program has scaled back its activities, “So there will be no February Vacation programming this year, but we will offer something for April School break.”
