Grants fund ‘Framed: Step into Art’ exhibit at the West Hartford Musuem.

Submitted by Jennifer Toone

The New Children’s Museum of West Hartford, the region’s premiere destination for science and nature exploration, announced that the institution has received two grants to bring “Framed: Step into Art” to the museum. The Farmington Bank Community Foundation and The JCJ Architecture Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving provided the funding.

Submitted image.

Opening in February 2015, the exhibit is part of the museum’s new initiative to build critical thinking, creativity and visualization in children.

“Framed: Step into Art” is an engaging experience that transports visitors to a world where paintings leap off the canvas and invite children inside the art. As visitors play and move through the exhibit, they are challenged to ride a giant chicken, set up camp in the Canadian Rockies, and prepare dinner for a group of hungry farmers. Framed: Step into Art lets visitors spend time with five paintings – from iconic to contemporary – and learn to appreciate their own, as well as others’ opinions of individual art.

Arrival of the new exhibit further propels The New Children’s Museum’s commitment to move full STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) ahead into the future by inspiring creativity and lifelong learning.

Championed by Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and widely adopted by institutions, corporations and individuals, STEAM is a nationwide movement that integrates art and design with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – the STEM subjects.

“Most of our greatest scientists are also artists because emotional intelligence, visual thinking and innovation strengthen performance in science and engineering,” said Robert Griesmer, president and chief executive officer of The New Children’s Museum. “We are very grateful for the support of our grantors as we continue to move full STEAM ahead.”

The New Children’s Museum is currently hosting “Winged Wonders Butterfly House” this summer where visitors become immersed in a world of fluttering butterflies.

The museum is home to over 100 live animals, including the now famous Fennec foxes, hands-on science exhibits, out-of-this-world digital planetarium shows, and programs for younger children and families. The Children’s Museum and Roaring Brook Nature Center are the region’s premiere destinations for science and nature exploration.

The New Children’s Museum is located at 950 Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford and at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. More information is available at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.