Monet’s Muse Strikes the Adventure Garden!

Posted in Exhibitions, Monet's Garden on May 24 2012, by Matt Newman

Monet’s masterpieces may be hanging safely in the Rondina/LoFaro Gallery, but the artist’s inspiration runs wild in our children’s garden! The bright flowers in their full spring glory aren’t all that far off from the confetti-colored borders of Monet’s own Giverny. Of course, the giant, googly-eyed caterpillars bursting with tiny flowers aren’t anything you’ll find in the average Impressionist’s landscape painting. But then again, why not?

At the NYBG, the artistic muse speaks early, and nowhere is it more alive than in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Visit for the morning during Monet’s Garden and enjoy hands-on classes with your kids, or take an afternoon stroll with your toddler in tow to experience freeform creativity with our knowledgeable Explainers. Art is at its best when you let the mood take you!

Children begin by putting together their own palettes, venturing through the sprightly collections of flowers and foliage while noting the colors they observe most often: sun-yellow pansies, florid rhododendrons, or even the raucous red of a passing cardinal. They’ll take after the great en plain air painters as they pull their inspiration from nature itself, walking between the open frames arranged at beautiful spots throughout the garden, imagining their own spring landscapes within the borders of the canvas. And back inside the studio of the Discovery Center, they’ll use their collection of color swatches to create masterpieces of their own, painting out their potential on standing easels and following in the footsteps of Monet himself.

Before you leave, don’t forget to bring your child to the Discovery Center’s planting counter for a living souvenir. Pot up a “Giverny original” to take home and raise for yourselves, be it a sunflower, morning glory, zinnia, sweet alyssum, or cosmos!

Art is a discipline that knows no age limit. While you’re here to see the fine works of Impressionism’s revered creative, take the time to encourage the same in your kids. The Adventure Garden is just a short walk from the Conservatory or the Library Building, so there’s no excuse for missing out! And if you’re a kid of the bigger variety, intent on learning the ropes of brushwork, illustration, or otherwise, take a look at our Adult Education offerings. Our course catalog is always growing.

Monet’s Garden runs between now and October 21, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to join us for this exploration of the artist’s life at Giverny. Be sure to reserve tickets online, and think about return visits later in the year–our homage to the Impressionist’s garden will change with the seasons!