Family Programs at the Austin Museum of Art

Recently, the Austin Museum of Art had a exhibition of the photographic works of Annie Leibovitz. Her work on American Musicians was displayed and came to an end on August 7th. I took my young son to the exhibit to find a cool place to escape the Texas heat and we were thrilled to find that the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) had a long list of family events planned each calendar month. We visited on a Tuesday, because each Tuesday you can visit the museum for only $1. The normal admission fee is still reasonable at $5 and children 12 and under are always free. There are special discounts for seniors and students as well.

The Leibovitz exhibit was stunning, and my son was very interested in the iPod stations set up so that you could hear the music that the subjects of her photographs had recorded. The subjects were all American Musicians: Willie Nelson, Eminem, Roseanne Cash, and The White Stripes, just to name a few. I think a lot of parents would never think to take their child to such an exhibit, but it can be very educational if you put your mind to it. My son walked away from his experience knowing how to say the word, “gee-tar”. It was pretty amusing.

Every second Saturday of the month is Family Day at AMOA. This is a time for families to come and unleash their creative side and get hands on with the help of art teachers and volunteers of the museum. There are art projects to work on and take home and they are theme related to the current exhibit of the museum. While I’m sad to say, the Annie Leibovitz exhibit has come and gone their are upcoming exhibits that are going to be really exciting. At the end of this month I am told that the museum will be showcasing local artists from Austin, and even better, in November there is to be artwork from Dr. Seuss. The cost of this event is $7 per family.

The AMOA is located at 823 Congress Ave in downtown Austin. There is parking available at the museum lot at 8th and Congress for $2 or you can find a meter spot on the street. Saturdays, of course, parking is free on the street. The AMOA is just a short walk from the State Capital Building, and there are many restaurants nearby along Congress Ave. For a unique dining experience after a day at the museum you can walk across the street to eat delicious Mediterranean food at an Austin favorite, Marrakesh.

AMOA is a great place to take a toddler. There is plenty of room for them to run around and lots of activities for them to create and learn throughout the month. I really love taking my son there, he loves to look through the books on display and point out features in the pieces exhibited.