COVER STORY
Playtime All The Time!
"Toy Crazy" premiers at Cameron Art Museum
By: Emily Rea
Known for its innovative and forward-thinking exhibits, Cameron Art Museum never fails to entertain, enlighten and impress Wilmington art lovers. Although technically a venue for all ages, Cameron (or CAM, as it is known) exhibits are more often than not a hot-spot for intellectual adults with a passion for art.
However, opening this month at CAM will be a kid-friendly exhibit entitled Toy Crazy, on display from October 18th, 2008, to February 1st, 2009. “We thought it would be a fun exhibition that would be fitting for the upcoming holiday season, and that could be enjoyed by children and adults alike,” Georgia Mastroieni, director of Museum Education for Youth, explains. “We think it is a great chance for families to spend time together enjoying a cultural activity.”
Extremely diverse and covering a wide selection of toys and games from different countries and time periods, “Toy Crazy” is certain to have something for everyone.
“We tried to create an exhibition with a wide variety of toys represented—everything from antique to modern, American to Japanese, Barbies to Star Wars,” Mastroieni says. “Everyone has fond memories of toys, and we hope that every visitor will find something in the exhibition that will remind them of their childhood.”
A kids’ opening will take place on October 18th from 12-3pm as part of the museum’s Kids at CAM program. Activities will include art projects (where kids can make their own toys to take home), child docent tours, refreshments and take-home goody bags. “We are having a kids-specific opening for the exhibit because it is a very kid-friendly theme,” Mastroieni says. “We have ‘grown-up’ openings pretty often, but we thought that this would be a great opportunity for us to make our younger audience feel special.”
Beyond the kids opening, there will be many fun children’s programming for this exhibition, including special screenings of Toy Story 1 and 2 in December and January. Examples of toys on display are 16th-century Holland toys, vintage mechanicals, Star Wars-themed toys, and contemporary Japanese vinyl and plush toys.
“On display through the holiday season, this exhibition is a reminder that there should always be time to play!” Ashley Standera, curatorial associate at CAM, says.
The exhibit will be an excellent way to get more kids into the museum, to become familiar with it and the practice of viewing art. “When children view art, they can observe, wonder, interpret and be inspired by what they see,” Mastroieni observes. “It’s a great chance for them to use their imaginations.”
More details about upcoming events is available on CAM’s Web site at www.cameronartmuseum.com. Any questions about children’s programs should be directed to Georgia Mastroieni at 910-395-5999, extextension 1019, or georgia@cameronartmuseum.com. For any questions regarding the exhibition, contact Ashley Standera at 910-395-5999, ext. 1005, or astandera@cameronartmuseum.com.