The document summarizes an art exhibition for children called "Colour" that was held at an art gallery from March to June 2003. It featured contemporary artworks focused on different colors, with interactive elements to experience color properties. Children enjoyed interpreting the abstract works and found them interesting to look at. They provided creative interpretations and learned new things about color. Having opportunities for hands-on exploration and discussion helped children engage meaningfully with the contemporary art. Since the exhibition, children have shown interest in art forms using different mediums and technologies, as well as those with interactive elements. Activity books and information labels that promote child-adult interaction have also helped children connect art to their own lives.

1. Colour: contemporary art for kids
(15 March − 9 June 2003)

2. Colour facts
• featured contemporary art from
all areas of the Gallery’s
collection
• aimed to engage children with
colour meanings, cultural
associations, feelings and
optical effects (colour facts)
• designed as a ‘colour house’
–rooms were colour focused
• interactives to experience the
sensory properties of specific
colours

5. Colour findings
Children:
• showed enjoyment in
interpreting the abstract,
contemporary works
• found the art to be interesting
to look at – especially art that
was strange, scary, familiar,
funny, amazing and/or different
• provided all sorts of interesting
and creative interpretations

6. Children and contemporary art
What enabled meaningful engagement?
• high attracting and
holding power of the
works
• opportunities for
thinking and discussion:
how was it made?
• hands-on exploration to
discover something Drawing by Aiden, Year 4
new about colour

7. Lionel BAWDEN – Untitled
Discoveries: familiar object
used in an interesting way:
- Look, they’re pencils!
- That’s mad!
Asking questions:
- How deep would the pencils
be inside?
- How many days would it take
to do?
Commenting and theorising:
- They’re cut and stuck together.
- I think it would take forever to
make.

8. Insights : contemporary art
- This is art how you feel.
- Different from what you’d see in your house.
- It’s different. You usually think paintings, not
couches with spikes.

9. Colour findings
Many children reported learning something new as a result of
their experience in the Colour exhibition.
• most common response: how colours feel (temperature)
• colours can be mixed to make new colours
• colours have meaning
The interactives enhanced children’s experiences in Colour.
• teachers stated that interactive components added an important
sensory dimension to the experience

10. Since Colour …
Children are interested in
all art forms
• interesting textures
• which use technology
(film / computer)
• have an interactive
element (sound / light)
• scale – small / large

11. Activity books /
child-friendly information
labels
• promotes child-adult
interaction (shared
encounters)
• provide interesting facts
• questions and activities
encourage children to build
connections between their own
lives and the art on display

12. Artist-child interaction
• mutually beneficial –
learn from each other
• share ideas and provide
inspiration

13. The Silver Factory:
Andy Warhol for Kids
• engage with processes and
ideas that Andy Warhol was
interested in
• appreciation for HOW and
WHY the artist made the type
of art that he did
• thrill of seeing yourself = the
reaction is immediate
‘15 seconds of fame’

14. Picasso & his collection