The wind blew stong and cold this past Saturday morning when my son and I met Michelle Cardulla outside 90 Webster Avenue. Cardulla is the Executive Director of the brand new Museum of Kids Art, which has its Grand Opening this Saturday (12/9) 6-9 p.m. MoKA sits atop a Flatiron-style building gorgeously restored by North East Area Development, Inc.

We bundled ourselves up the bright stairs, lined with colorful art patterns. The museum grew out of Cardulla’s concern for the marginalization of the arts in American education and life. MoKA’s purpose is “to activate art programming, by existing as a center for arts and learning that employs the visual arts to foster a sense of accomplishment and hope in the urban community.”

Massive paper lanterns, decorated in fantastic ways, hung from the ceiling. MoKA is currently designed to involve children from Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. Classes are being offered in dance, cooking, weaving, and painting. In the future, Cardulla hopes to involve teens both as participants and as mentors. For that matter, Cardulla would be keen to see MoKA grow into an arts center for the entire community writ large (“I’d love to attract world class people.”)

My son loved the insect drawings and the hand made tiles. Saturday’s Grand Opening will feature art to view, art to buy, art to do, refreshments, and a surprise or two. Visit www.museumofkidsart.org [defunct link] for more information.

December, 2006