The world of art can be exciting and enriching…but also downright confusing. Veronica Rueckert and Rob Ferrett find out how to connect with and converse about art of all shapes and sizes. In Wisconsin Life, they learn about the game of dartball – found in pubs and church basements all over the state. They also discuss today’s Supreme Court ruling that strikes down a limit on campaign donations in federal elections, and look at a new report on American’s military caregivers.
Featured in this Show
-
Painter Suggest How To Make Art Come Alive For Children
As spring break approaches in schools around Wisconsin, parents will be looking for rainy-day activities with children — with many visits likely to the state’s many art museums.
Wisconsin artist Jacob Pfeiffer said art museums are a great way to cultivate curiosity and imagination and he encourages parents to make the most of the museum experience with their children.
Pfeiffer, a contemporary realist American oil painter from Madison, said parents shouldn’t be shy about taking children out to experience art.
“I definitely believe they belong in art museums and art gallerieshe,” he said. “I think early exposure is incredibly important, and it also trains children what are the expectations of behavior in a museum.”
He suggests starting with a free museum or at free family nights offered by many museums, and leading up to the visit by laying out the ground rules of visiting the museum — no running, no touching and the like.
At the museum, Pfeiffer said parents can guide the discussion about individual works of art.
“I like to talk to my kids about different ways to drill down into the art piece — not literally, of course,” he said.
He suggests four steps in talking to children about a work of art and suggests questions to get children thinking about what they’re seeing:
- Description: “What are you seeing in this piece, what are the colors, the shapes, the subjects? That’s the surface of any art experience.” he said.
- Analysis: “Is there a part of the painting or sculpture that your eye is drawn to? Is there anything that’s standing out, how are the things arranged?” he said.
- Interpretation: “What kind of mood does this piece produce, what are the feelings that you feel when you’re looking at this piece?” he said.
- Judgment: “Do you like it, do you find it interesting?” he said.
For children and adults alike, Pfeiffer said the process of thinking about art is more important that coming up with the right conclusions about it.
“It’s important to think about how art really has no right or wrong answers,” he said.
-
Supreme Court Lifts Another Limit On Campaign Donations
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to strike down donation limits in federal elections. The editor of a Supreme Court blog joins us to discuss the context of this decision and how it could change elections.
-
A Closer Look At America's Military Caregivers
A new study finds that there are about 5.5 million Americans currently caring for military veterans, young and old. One of the study’s authors paints a picture of who these caregivers are, and the unique challenges they’re dealing with.
-
Demystifying Art
With spring break around the corner, parents and kids alike might be tempted to take in an art museum. Our guest today has ideas for kids and adults to connect with art, even if they don’t know much about it.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Jacob A. Pfeiffer Guest
- Amy Howe Guest
- Terri Tanielian Guest
- Amanda Magnus Producer
- Chris Malina Producer
- Veronica Rueckert Interviewer
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
