Donate

Recent Posts

Arts Programs

Are you a teacher? Check out our arts education resources.
gallery crawl see more art

Visual Art Blogs

KQED Arts Bloggers

KQED e-Newsletters

Newsletters

Get regular updates on great programs and events

Please leave this field empty

More from KQED

Visual Arts

Museums Rule!

By Kristin Farr | Dec 23, 2012

Large Image

If you're looking for family-friendly outings or places to send your creepy uncle who's in from out of town this holiday season, why not check out a local art museum? The Bay Area is home to zillions of amazing cultural institutions that are warm, inviting, and awaiting your visit.

Admission costs vary but the rules do not -- in almost any art museum, food, touching the art, and running amuck are not allowed. And it's not because some stuffy security guard wants to ruin your fun. There are important reasons for these rules, and in order to explain them, we worked with Bay Area youth to put together this superhero-style short film about why museums have rules.


This film project was produced in partnership with the de Young Museum and their teen ambassador program, and expertly shot and edited by the Bay Area Video Coalition's youth production company, The Factory.

Many local organizations welcome students and families, and they often provide free admission days and guided tours. Some of these local museums include the de Young Museum, the Oakland Museum of California, the Jewish Contemporary Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Asian Art Museum, the Walt Disney Family Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum, the Berkeley Art Museum, the de Saisset Museum in Santa Clara, and the San Jose Museum of Art.

P.S. If you find yourself in a museum where photography is allowed, why not contribute a photo to the Jumping in Museums blog? Museums often allow photography near their own collections, but it is generally not allowed in temporary exhibitions.

More on Visual Arts

The Latest on KQED Arts

Theater Review | May 18, 2013

Everybody's Helen of Troy at EXIT Theatre's DIVAfest

One Helen of Troy was enough trouble for the ancient world. What happens when you get five of them in the same room? By Sam Hurwitt  

NPR Film | May 17, 2013

'Into Darkness,' Boldly And With A Few Twists

The 12th film based on Gene Roddenberry's '60s sci-fi TV show is the second to star a new group of actors as Kirk, Spock and their crew. J.J. Abrams returns as director, and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch plays the memorable villain. By David Edelstein  

NPR Film | May 17, 2013

Polley's 'Stories': A Family Saga Strikingly Spun

A director's film memoir of her theatrical family is transformed by surprising discoveries about her parents' past -- and her own heritage. Sarah Polley's film becomes a superb meditation on how we dramatize memory. (Recommended) By Bob Mondello  

The Do List | May 16, 2013

The One About Orange Peels And Music On A Mountain

Cy Musiker and David Wiegand scout the Bay Area for things to do this coming weekend and turn up orange peels, music on a mountain, and much more!   

The Bay Bridged | May 16, 2013

Mixtape: San Francisco's Newest Psychedelic Sounds

Listen to the new Bay Bridged mix of Bay Area psych-rock, featuring Lumerians, Disappearing People, Golden Void, Coo Coo Birds, Barn Owl, and more.   

Art & Design
  • Litterbugs Beware: Turning Found DNA Into Portraits

    A dropped cigarette butt, a chewed-up piece of gum, a stray hair. Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg uses DNA from trash she's picked up around New York City to generate 3-D portraits of those who left it behind.

  • Banksy Mural May Be Coming To U.S. After All

    The stencil of a young boy sewing the Union Jack is the centerpiece of an exhibition in London, after which it will head to the U.S. where it is to be part of a private collection. Organizers say Slave Labour is not being put up for sale, but residents of the London neighborhood from which it disappeared want it back.

  • A Fresh Answer To Vermeer's Mystery

    The work of the Dutch master Johannes Vermeer has long puzzled the art world. Some of his pieces just don't quite fit. They're a little off. What gives? Author Benjamin Binstock has an idea, an idea that commentator Alva Noë finds appealing.

  • At The Met Ball, Those Are Some Crazy Dresses

    The Met Ball brings out some of the highest of fashion, and Monday night, it brought boots of fire, lots of skin, and a new hair color for Anne Hathaway.

Also on KQED.org this week ...

The Earth
We Need You!

Volunteer during our current on-air radio fundraising drive. It's a great way to support KQED Radio with your time. You can really make a difference!

ImageMakers - 88:88 (You Should Be Paranoid, 2013)
Enter the New "ImageMakers" Screening Room

Enjoy films from present and past seasons of KQED's short independent film series, divided into Animation, Comedy, Drama, and Suspense.