Family Fun Takes a Surreal Turn at First Hirshhorn Fall Family Day

November 5, 2015

All-Ages Series Kicks Off Nov. 14 with Celebration of “Marvelous Objects”

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden invites visitors young and old to a day of family fun, Saturday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., inspired by “Marvelous Objects: Surrealist Sculpture from Paris to New York,” a major exhibition that includes works by Salvador Dalí, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray and Joseph Cornell, among others. All events are free of charge and suitable for all ages.

The event is the first in a new series of thrice-yearly events that strengthen the Hirshhorn’s outreach to youth and families. Other dates will be announced. The program shares staff with the museum’s Gallery Guides program, which engages visitors in conversations about artworks on view, and its ARTLAB+ drop-in after-school program, winner of the 2014 Smithsonian Education Innovation Award. A radically inclusive digital media studio for local teens, ARTLAB+ has been invited to the White House on three separate occasions to allow participants to present their work and share their thoughts about the ways in which free access to technology has enabled them to grow, learn and prepare for the future.

Surrealist Studio
Third level, Lerner Room; 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Visitors can drop in anytime for collaborative drawing and other surrealist-inspired activities.

“Marvelous Objects” Tech Tour
Second level, Meet at the Info Desk in the lobby; 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
All ages are welcome, but parental supervision is recommended for children under age 8.
Join ARTLAB+ staff and Gallery Guides on a tech-filled 45-minute tour that creatively explores “Marvelous Objects.”

“Marvelous Objects” Guided Tour
Second level, Meet at the Info Desk in the lobby; 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Gallery Guides lead a conversational tour of “Marvelous Objects” based on the museum’s Surrealist Activity Book, which is available at the Info Desk.

ARTLAB+ Animation Workshop
Sculpture Garden, ARTLAB+; 12:30–2 p.m.
All ages are welcome, but parental supervision is recommended for children under age 6. Families participate in a 90-minute stop-motion animation workshop, using digital media and paper collage to create an original animated short film. Registration required: hhfamilyday.eventbrite.com.

Film: Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Lower level, Ring Auditorium; 2–3:15 p.m.
Visitors can enjoy a free screening of Disney’s animated classic for a whimsical journey into the topsy-turvy world of Wonderland.

About the Hirshhorn

Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the Smithsonian Institution’s museum of international modern and contemporary art. With nearly 12,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media installations, works on paper and new media works, its holdings encompass one of the leading collections of postwar American and European art. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs that explore modern and contemporary art. Located at Independence Avenue and Seventh Street S.W., the museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission to the galleries and special programs is free. For more information about exhibitions and events, visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Follow the Hirshhorn on Facebook at facebook.com/hirshhorn, on Twitter at twitter.com/hirshhorn, on Tumblr at hirshhorn.tumblr.com and on Instagram at instagram.com/hirshhorn. Or sign up for the museum’s eBlasts at hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/social-media. To request accessibility services, contact Amy Bower at bowera@si.edu or (202) 633-0828, preferably two weeks in advance.

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