New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is set to open a new learning centre for kids, called 81st Street Studio, on 9 September.
Designed by New York-based Koko Architecture + Design, the renovated 3,500-square-foot space will offer interactive educational activities for children ages 3 to 11.
The studio, part of the Met’s education department, will debut with a children’s festival on 9 September, offering science-based making experiences, art activities, games and music.
Immersive educational activities
“Education is a critical – and very exciting – part of the Met’s mission, and we are proud to open the extraordinary new 81st Street Studio and further advance our role as a tremendously engaging resource for local and global communities,” said the Met’s director Max Hollein. “Through immersive activities, the studio inspires children to explore connections between art and science, which is so valuable for creating a lifelong love and appreciation for art and artistic practices.”
Created to stimulate and encourage making, investigation, critical thinking and problem solving, the centre includes seven interactive stations and a children’s library.
Different materials will be featured on a rotating basis, with many of the inaugural experiences inspired by wood.
Children will get to explore various wood types and finishes, take part in activities such as woodblock carving and drum making, and use digital tools to learn more about wood.
Another highlight is a musical station designed by Yamaha where kids can find out how materials influence sound through instruments including a standing guitar, a castanet wall, an organ and a marimba.
Interdisciplinary learning
“With its focus on interdisciplinary learning through the five senses, the 81st Street Studio is a further catalyst for how the Met engages with all visitors,” said Heidi Holder, the museum’s chair of education.
“It positions the museum as a place where visitors can make delightful discoveries, take risks, and ask questions, activities that are imperative to reimagining the future role of museums in our communities.”
