Exhibits from children's drawings and structures of houses
H. Kakarouhas
ATHENS

Museum of Greek Children’s Art

The Museum of Greek Children’s Art is a pioneering Museum, one of the very few worldwide that exhibits exclusively drawings and three dimensional artworks created by children 5 to 14 years old. It is addressed to children and adults, parents, teachers, artists, scientists, researchers and those interested in children’s art.

The focus on education through art, the 18 years of experience addressing exclusively to the child by using the artists’ language, differentiate the Museum of Greek Children’s Art from the rest of the Institutions which target a wider audience.

Created in 1994, it aims to study and promote the uniqueness of children’s art, to develop children’s aesthetic education, to exchange exhibitions and collaborate with scientist and institutions in Greece and abroad interested in children’s art. A number of exhibitions in Greece and abroad have been organized by the Museum, promoting children’s art.

The Museum’s collections are enriched annually and presently include 7.000 artworks. Among them are winning entries to Nationwide Children’s Art Contests launched by the Museum, entries to International Art Exhibitions, participations in Art workshops for children and programmes for the disabled organized in its premises, drawings by children created during the post war period, first drawing attempts of living creatures by the Kalash children, toys made of scrap materials by children from Africa.

Drawing from its collections the Museum renews its exhibits every other year, hosting each time a different theme.
Interactive corners are specially designed by the Educational Department of the Museum, offering in a playful way a further acquaintance with the artworks on display with bilingual activities for visitors of all ages.

Each exhibition is enhanced by relative educational programmes for school groups addressed to pre-school children and primary school pupils, running at the Museum premises.

The activity “The Museum goes to school”, is designed to be realized at the classroom’s environment, by a member of the Museum’s Educational Department in all schools in the centre of Athens. The Museum proposes a new collaboration between Museum and School, focusing on education trough children’s art.

With the guidance of the educator in charge, 5-12 years old children have the possibility to experiment with various materials and drawing techniques during 2 hour weekly Art workshops which run on a one or 8 moth basis. Alternatively two hours off programmes run for families with children 2,5-4 years old inspired by collaborations, significant moments in the history of art or subjects related to holiday themes.

The Museum’s educational activities include the loan of museum kits to schools in distant areas and the organization of Art seminars for teachers. The 1st Scientific Conference on Children’s Art has been held in Greece by the Museum, in 2005.

The Museum’s gift shop offers books, postcards, posters, art games and a variety of gifts featuring children’s art from its collections. The Museum’s publications can also be used as educational material.