Japan Society is a cool and culturally rich place to visit with your family! The Society brings the people of the United States and Japan together with programming which offers opportunity for mutual understanding. Check out the many fun and stimulating programs in arts and culture, as well as temporary exhibitions in its gallery.

Currently On View

“Memory: Things we should never forget” is an exhibition that features photos of the aftermath of  the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The images showcase both the catastrophic consequence of the natural disaster and the strength and hope that people had while rebuilding their homes and their lives. Be inspired by the power of unity, collaboration, and family through even the toughest of times. On view through May 27, 2012.

Japan Society also offers fun and creative family programs!

Save the date for:

“Japan’s Star Festival: Storytelling & Create Tanabata Decorations” Sunday, July 15, 2 PM. The program introduces various forms of storytelling in Japan’s Tanabata tradition. It also includes hands-on activities for the participants such as making paper ornaments! Recommended for children ages 3-10 and accompanying adults.
 

Japan Society is open:
Gallery hours are valid during exhibition dates

Tuesday - Thursday: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Friday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

333 E 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
>> Directions to Japan Society.

The Museum of the City of New York offers an array of fun exhibitions and programs – take your family and learn more about the history of New York City!

Don’t miss out on these exhibitions!

• “Stories that the City Tells Itself: The Video Art and Photography of Neil Goldberg” is an exhibition that captures New York City’s fleeting moments through photography. The exhibition allows your children to gaze and interact with images of everyday New York living. Are there places they recognize? On view through June 19.

• “On the Move: Transportation Toys from the Permanent Collection” is a unique presentation of old transportation toys modeled on vehicles once common to the city. The exhibition is a fun way to learn how transportation evolved in New York City through the centuries. The exhibition is a great way to explore what toys looked like in the past. How are they different from or similar to toys your children have at home or at school? This exhibition is ongoing.

>> Learn more about exhibitions at MCNY

Cool Events and Programs at MCNY

Save the date for:

• Lion Dance on 5/19/2012!
• Learning about Immigration through Theatre on 5/12/2012! (Ages 7 - 12)

Museum of the City of New York is open:
Monday – Sunday: 10:00 am–6:00 pm.
Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Did you know? The New-York Historical Society Museum is the oldest in the city (almost 70 years older than the Met)! Hop on a bus or train with your family to explore this world-class collection of art and discover how history influences our lives today!

New-York History – For Families!

Also at N-Y Historical

• Explore the development of American cities over hundreds of years at “Urban Views: American Cities 1717-1986)” on view through April 22, 2012. 

• Discover the stories of Harlem through the people and the buildings themselves at Camilo José Vergara’s two-part photography show. “Harlem: The People” is on display through June 10; “Harlem: The Place” will be on view from June 13 - September 16, 2012.

Young children (and adults!) love to explore shapes and colors – what better way to do that with your little one than visiting the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. See the coolest vertical flower show in the city – artist Patrick Blanc defies gravity with these tall structures covered in colorful orchids and other exotic plants.

The Orchid Show, on view through April 22, 2012. Don’t Miss it!

Come smell the flowers... and then make some of your own at the Morris-Jumel Mansion this spring. Meet other families and make cool crafts during a free, flower-themed workshop at Manhattan's oldest house and its colorful garden from 10 am – noon on Saturday, April 7.

This free family workshop is great for all ages and will include:

• Scavenger hunt inside Morris-Jumel Mansion
• Interactive exploration of the outside garden
• Hands-on art activity making paper flowers

Call to reserve space for your family at 212.923.8008 or send an email to education@morrisjumel.org.

For more info, check out our April e-zine. 

A Trip Around the World

Journey across the world without ever leaving New York City! Investigate the galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art with your family and take advantage of the Museum’s fun activities for families!

Plan a Trip to the Met
The Met Museum boasts more than two million works of art from every corner of the earth, but don’t worry about seeing it all in one visit! Take your time exploring the permanent collections and current exhibitions with the help of guides created by the Museum for you and your family:

• "Family Itinerary for Children Ages 5 on up: A Visit to Egypt”
• “Family Itinerary for Children Ages 3–5: A Treasure Hunt for Creatures from Ancient Greece!”  
• Click here for more maps and family guides to guide your visit!

Check Out This Exhibit
This weekend explore the imaginative world of “Storytelling in Japanese Art”, on view in Exhibition Galleries 223-232 through May 6. Learn more about current exhibitions here.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is open:
Tuesday – Thursday: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Friday & Saturday: 9:30 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Closed Monday (except Met Holiday Mondays), Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1
Directions to the Met.

 On Saturday, February 25th, Cool Culture meets YOU at the Rubin Museum of Art!

We'll be there for their Family Day celebration of Losar, the Himalayan New Year! RMA will have art activities, storytelling performances and more. Plus, you won't want to miss a chance to see the beautiful art objects from the Himalayan region.

Learn more about the event in the February issue of e-Family Time!

Saturday, February 25th, 12-4 PM
150 W 17th Street, NY, NY 10011

Admission
$10 per child /$7 children of members of the Rubin Museum of Art. Adults pay regular admission fees. Free to children under 1 year and Cool Culture members.

 Check it out!

The Studio Museum in Harlem is a Cool Culture favorite and is a place that everyone can enjoy! 

“The Studio Museum is a great place for families because there’s always something new to see! We always have a wide variety of work on view, with exhibitions featuring everything from painting and sculpture to photography and installation," says Shanta Scott, Manager of School, Youth and Family Programs.

The museum also features wonderful, FREE family programming every Sunday at the museum's Target Free Sundays. No matter what you choose to see and do during your time at this museum, the visit is sure to be a wonderful learning experience for your kids. 

“It's important to start going to cultural institutions like the Studio Museum at a young age,” Ms. Scott says, explaining that children develop important skills (like literacy and problem solving) just by looking at the art and talking about it with you.

The Studio Museum is the perfect museum to visit with family and friends. The initimate galleries are welcoming and filled with beautiful works, many of which draw inspiration from the neighborhood right outside its doors. 

Cool Extras

• Cool Culture Hunt Cards

On View:
The Bearden Project - A celebration of the inspiring and influential Romare Bearden (thru March 11, 2012)The Block - Kira Lynn Harris (thru May 27, 2012)

The Studio Museum in Harlem is open:
Thursday-Friday, 12-9 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday: 12 pm - 6 pm

Location:
144 West 125th Street
New York, NY 10027
>>Directions

Big Room, Little City in Queens!

 Travel across a toy-sized version of New York City, explore a giant sculpture of the globe and hunt for other amazing treasures at the Queens Museum of Art (QMA)!

"Regardless of your artistic knowledge (or) your language skills, we're going to do everything we can to make you feel that this institution is established just for you," says David Strauss, Director of External Affairs at QMA.

Cool Activities
The museum's free family workshops on Sundays are a fun introduction to QMA. Drop by for an afternoon of action-packed activities, and on Second Sundays, your family can explore the galleries, do art projects and experience family-friendly music performances!

Must-See at QMA!
See all of New York City with a visit to the Panorama exhibit, which has amazed visitors for nearly 50 years! A team of 100 people built this scale model of New York City that stretches across an entire room and includes 895,000 buildings. 

The Panorama is one of many treasures found at QMA created especially for New York's 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. Go back in time by checking out toys, model cars and more from these international cultural expositions.

Cool Extras

• Cool Culture Hunt Cards

Queens Museum of Art is open:
Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 6 pm

Location:
New York City Building
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens, NY 11368
>>Directions
 

Fall Into Sculpture

Explore nature in a whole new way at The Noguchi Museum!At the Noguchi, your family can explore volcanic rock sculptures, relax in a peaceful garden and hunt for animal shapes in the art around you. With dozens of amazing abstract sculptures on display, this indoor/outdoor museum is perfect for creative discovery.

Must-See Museum Spots

Walk through a giant doorway in Noguchi Museum’s first gallery and find yourself in a garden where you and your little ones can try a few looking activities, such as finding all the multicolored works or even inventing a story about your favorite sculpture.

Sculptures in the garden are kept company by trees, plants and small stones that cover much of the ground. In this section of the museum you can use your sense of touch, since you are allowed to pick up the small stones or feel the bark of the trees. Here you and your little ones can play with the abundant stones, pose like the sculptures or invent different sounds for them!

Ongoing Programs

The Noguchi features ongoing family workshops for families with children 2-11 years of age, led by museum educators. Learn more about their awesome family workshops here: http://www.noguchi.org/programs/education/families. Don't forget to RSVP -- they fill up fast!

The Noguchi Museum is open:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10:00am-5:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11:00am-6:00pm
Monday & Tuesday: CLOSED