KIDS + FAMILIES

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents MFAH Family Day: Gifts of Beauty, Sunday, Dec 04, 2011, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

MFAH Family Days—held on select Sundays throughout the year—bring opportunities to explore and make art, see a performance, hear a story, and much more!

Each Family Day presents two family-friendly film series:

• Storybook films, designed for families with kids ages 2 and up, feature animated versions of celebrated children’s picture books.
• Reel Kids films introduce a fresh perspective or topic to a wide audience, focusing especially on the interests of ages 8 and up.

UPDATE:

• The Art of the Gift: Create an ornate container that can be used to hold a gift but also tells a story. Materials such as textured and patterned papers, markers, and gold foil will help you to fashion something unique.
• Horses, Elephants, and a Zebra: Sketching in the Galleries: Sketch rich and detailed works of art inside the Gifts of the Sultan exhibition, including works of art featuring horses, elephants, a zebra, and other animals!
• Gifts of Beauty: A Family Gallery Experience: Join friendly and knowledgeable MFAH educator Vehishta Kaikobad inside the exhibition for a hands-on family experience. Don´t miss Kaikobad´s retelling of a tale from the Shahnama, the classic Persian epic poem by Firdausi. (1:15 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.)
• Calligraphy Demonstration: Watch calligraphers Fahim Somani and Nizar Macnojia practice their incredible art form.
• Play Chess: Sit down at a chess board in the new Kinder Foundation Education Center and play together as a family, inspired by chess pieces from Egypt on view inside the exhibition.
• Storytime: Gifts and Giving: Listen to a story about gifts and giving in the new Kinder Foundation Education Center. The entire family will enjoy this interactive experience. (1:00 and 3:00 p.m.)
• Performance by the Ismaili Music Ensemble: Listen to an exquisite in-gallery performance that draws on Eastern and Western influences performed by the Ismaili Music Ensemble. (2:00 p.m.)
• Storybook Films: Frederick, It´s Mine!, and Stone Soup: Enjoy three short animated films that bring storybooks to life. Families with little ones will love these tales of giving and sharing. (1:30 p.m. Free with general admission)

Family Programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston receive generous support from ConocoPhillips. The Gifts of Beauty Family Day is generously cosponsored by His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the Southwestern United States.