Melodie M.
Yelp
Love the Norton, loved that they had free admission on Saturday for PBC residents all summer. I had trouble finding my favorite part- the Chihuly glass ceiling, but after asking an employee found it behind the bathrooms, oddly enough. My kids laid down on their backs on the bench to study it at length, and this experience alone was enough of a visit to enjoy.
However, we had actually gone to attend our first Family Art Studio workshop, which included a 'family tour' beforehand. This studio is for ages 5-12. The 'tour' was actually only sitting in front of one painting while a Norton person asked questions of the children, which didn't seem particular geared towards children at all. The children fidgeted. It was not inspiring. We didn't look at anything else. I was disappointed, as this isn't really what a 'tour' is- and the theme was supposed to be pendants, gender-inclusive, and this painting was of a woman with a very small detail of a necklace. The Norton actually has real pendants on display throughout the museum, but we didn't look at any of these as part of the 'tour.'
The workshop was equally disappointing. The artist teacher, who was very friendly and nice, told a story about that same painting involving selling a painting by the artist, and I didn't understand why she told that story. for 5 year olds, this is not inspiring. For me, this was not inspiring either as a reason for an entire workshop based on it. Then, the art teacher told us what to do and proceeded to chat with the other Norton volunteers or employees about their personal lives for the duration, while occasionally circling around to ask kids if they needed any help. This is not a helpful way to interact with children. My kids did need help, but they were not going to ask for it. The neighboring parents gave my kids tons of engagement and ideas and help, and were a great example of what the teacher could have been doing, instead of chatting with the other volunteers. Additionally, the materials were not really for 5-12 year olds. Pipe cleaners and paper to make bracelets or necklaces, for a museum like the Norton, was very confusing. There could have been so many incredible ways for this workshop to engage and be more creative - and actually use real materials or make their own pendants. This isn't a cost thing, as there are a ton of natural and reusable materials available to make pendants and jewelry with. I was highly disappointed with this workshop in multiple ways, and I hope this feedback can help improve their program in the future.