Families with young children in Boca Raton will soon have new opportunities to explore art together, thanks to a $100,000 grant awarded to the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
The funding, provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will support the museum's new early childhood programs over the next two years, according to a community announcement. The museum will launch two initiatives as part of its Foundations in Wonder initiative: Art Crawl and Mini Muses.
Programs designed for infants and toddlers
Art Crawl, licensed from the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, is designed for infants ages 0 to 14 months. The program aims to introduce babies to art while equipping caregivers with tools to engage their children in conversations about creativity. Sessions include multisensory materials
like textures, mirrors and soft sounds, followed by guided exploration of artworks using play-based strategies.
Evaluation findings from the Clyfford Still Museum's pilot program showed that caregivers reported increased confidence in engaging their infants with art and a greater understanding of early childhood development. The Boca Raton Museum will be the second institution in the country to offer Art Crawl.
Mini Muses, intended for children ages 15 months to 5 years, is grounded in the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. This philosophy emphasizes child-led inquiry, collaboration and exploration. The program will include artmaking, storytelling, and activities that promote creativity and self-expression. The mixed-age structure encourages peer learning, with younger children modeling curiosity from older participants and older children developing leadership skills.
Programs expected to reach hundreds of families
The new programs are expected to serve between 400 and 600 children and caregivers annually through at least 40 sessions each year. The museum plans to offer the programs free of charge, thanks to the grant.
An early childhood education advisory committee will meet quarterly to recommend program adjustments and monitor progress.
“For many years, the Boca Raton Museum of Art has created meaningful learning experiences for school-aged children; Foundations in Wonder extends that commitment and advances our belief that art is for every age," said David Matteson, PhD, Director of Learning & Engagement, Boca Raton Museum of Art. "We are creating experiences that honor even our youngest visitors as capable, curious learners — deepening children’s agency while helping caregivers recognize and respond to how their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers explore, communicate, and learn from the world around them.”
About the Boca Raton Museum of Art
The Boca Raton Museum of Art, at 501 Plaza Real in Mizner Park, features a collection of modern and contemporary art and offers educational programs for all ages.
Admission is free for members, high school students under 18, and children under 15. Adult tickets are $16, and seniors 65 and older pay $12. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. It is closed Monday and Tuesday.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. The agency provides grant funding, research, and policy development to advance museums and libraries across the country. Learn more at imls.gov.
This story was created by web producer Michele Kelley (mkelley@pbpost.com) with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton Museum of Art program for kids gets $100,000 grant
