When you first rolled your first Playdough (Play-Doh) snake, did you think of it as art or just part of being a kid? On April 14th, 2019, while visiting friends in Erie, PA, we had the opportunity to ponder this question at the Erie Art Museum. Every Second Sunday of the month, the museum conducts a special themed event with admission being Pay-What-You-Wish, the week we visited the theme was “Make Your Own Playdough” day.
NOTE: The museum was doing a renovation when we visited, so a portion of the collection was not open to the public. They did have a large section of framed art, driftwood sculptures, interactive metalwork, and urban art open.
Time to make some art!
Most days you can find Wren sitting on the kitchen floor rolling, pressing and shaping her latest Play-Doh creations. She LOVES to create and share her art with mom, dad, and big sisters, especially anything food related.
When we told her that we would be making some playdough, she was super excited. Mom helped add the ingredients while her big sister helped mix everything under Wren’s watchful eye. Once the mixture met her standard for being mixed, next came the fun part! The girls tested their creations by rolling, stretching, squeezing, and eventually placing the balls of playdough in a sealed container once it met their standards.
FUN TIP: Want to make some playdough at home? Check out this recipe from IHeartnaptime.
Exploring the Erie Art Museum
If you ever played Tetris, you may be able to volunteer at this museum to help put works of art on the wall. It was awe-inspiring how much-varied art they were able to squeeze into this space. The walls are covered floor to ceiling with pictures, painting, and tapestries.
We spent most of our time in this section just scanning the walls. There did not seem to be any noticeable theme as to how it was laid out. By arranging the pictures, floor to ceiling, it allows kids to be able to see art from their eye level. This was a huge plus with little kids, it allowed even the shortest ones to engage with the pieces.
Urban art
I must admit, this was a style of art I was not something I had been exposed to previously. When we entered this area, my gaze was immediately drawn to the trash on the floor, not knowing this was part of the art, my first reaction was that it was extremely rude for someone to not pick up after themselves in a museum. It was only after seeing trash at a second location, that I understood the artist was trying to make a statement (still don’t know what that was though).
FUN TIP: Resist the urge to pick up trash at an art museum, it may just be part of the art.
Want to help support the Erie Art Museum?
Memberships:
Family: $75 – Membership for 2 adults plus all children and/or grandchildren in your life 16 years and under.
Individual: $45 – Membership for 1 adult plus $2 admission for 1 guest per visit.
Senior: $30 – Membership for 1 adult 65 years of age and over.
Student: $20 – Membership for 1 full-time student
Give:
Annual Fund – Above and beyond membership support, an investment in the Erie Art Museum Annual Fund provides crucial unrestricted operating resources for our exhibitions, collection conservation, programs, events, and more.
Tribute and Memorials – Honor or remember someone special in your life with a commemorative gift to the Erie Art Museum. In addition to recognition in the Museum’s quarterly ARTscope publication, the person you are honoring will receive a letter acknowledging the generous contribution.
EITC – The Erie Art Museum is an approved organization for the Educational Income Tax Credit Program. Earn tax credits and make a lasting impression for future generations by supporting our comprehensive school tours program.
Play-Doh items the girls enjoy
When our girls are not out having adventures and exploring new sites, you can find them creating something out of Play-Doh. These are some of the items they enjoy that your kids may also.
Play-Doh Royal Salon Featuring Disney Princess Rapunzel
Play-Doh Disney Frozen Magical Fountain
Conclusion
If you have a few hours and are looking for an exciting art museum, this would be a great place to explore with the family. It is conveniently located in downtown Erie, just five blocks north of the Bayfront on State street. We plan on visiting again on our next trip when they have the rest of the museum open.
Parental reminder: This an art museum some areas may be PG-13 (some artistic nude images).
