Don’t touch the exhibits! Behave yourself! Stop running down the hall! These are the commands you’d probably bark to your kids at the museum, for fear of breaking the peace, or worse, breaking a priceless artefact. Not so, if you visit the Singapore Art Museum – Children’s Season, which is on for another month at SAM@8Q presents a series of interactive exhibits and activities that will engage kids of all ages.

Check out Olimomok’s family outing to Children’s Season to see the kinds of engaging exhibits at the Singapore Art Museum, such as Walter the Wabbit’s garden, the kid’s library and the Enchanted Forest. For more detail about the exhibition, click here.

Just how observant are you to everyday objects or surroundings? Maybe not as observant as artists dealing with realism, who attempt to represent things as they are in real life. Realism in Asian Art demonstrates how realist artworks are characterised by their subject matter. Beyond that, it also draws attention to common issues in developing countries, such as class discrimination and social injustices. Through the eyes of realist artists, I see how the poor and underprivileged in Asian countries struggle to make ends meet in light of rapid modernisation.

The first painting that caught my eye, and a rather poignant portrayal of the older generation in Thailand.

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Mon 28 Jun – Sun 22 Aug 2010

10am – 8pm

The Balcony, Level 2  at National Museum of Singapore

Free admission

The streets of Singapore in the early to mid 20^th century were testimony to the complex social and economic world of the people who lived here. Public sites witnessed colonial enchantment with modernity and progress as revealed through the numerous pictorial records. These records continue to be valuable as the life and times of those who worked and sometimes died on these streets are captured. Lurking in the corners, on the edges and in the darkened corridors, was a group of nameless entrepreneurs who made a living as rickshaw pullers, hawkers, coolies and other traders. Despite the informal nature of their work, they provided certain essential goods and services, and transformed public spaces. With their passionate calls and colourful clutter, they added exotic appeal, at least to the eyes of the bedazzled tourists. More importantly, they survived the street, prejudice and fear.

This exhibition, through a diverse set of visual sources, focuses on these street actors, supplemented by a display of tools and an audio-visual footage of some of the traditional crafts – all set within the context of their varied social life.

As an avid fan of movies, I have the hobby of collecting ticket stubs since young. I’ve never had the chance to experience the Golden Age of Singapore’s cinema in the 1950s and 60s, but Ming Wong: Life of Imitation at the Singapore Art Museum gave me a peek into the cinematic scene back then.

Cathay cinema tickets

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I was quite excited about visiting Football Fever! at Singapore Philatelic Museum ever since I heard they were going to curate it.

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Old cinema seats, the nostalgic billboards thoughtfully painted by Singapore’s last surviving billboard painter (CT Neo), recent polaroid photographs of buildings that used to house cinema theatres, and a collection of movie tickets from decades ago. These are possibly some of the objects that would stay in the mind of a visitor to the exhibition entitled Life of Imitation, now held at the Singapore Art Museum.
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To make the imagined world believable on the screen. This was the key idea that struck me when I visited the exhibiition Pixar: 20 Years of Animation, at the Singapore Science Centre. “The exhibition features over 300 sketches, paintings, sculptures and storyboards, going behind the scenes to reveal how much Pixar’s much-loved characters and worlds are brought to life.”
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Regretfully, all good things must come to an end, and Internationl Museum Day (IMD)  is no exception. Nonetheless, we have one final bonanza for all our loyal museum fans. We will be having Open House at 20 museums island-wide. Enjoy free admission and join in on a whole slew of exciting activities and programmes. Don’t forget to express how much you are enjoying yourself by saying “I Love Museums” at the ticketing counters of participating museums and receive a free gift! Hurry, while stocks last.

Stamp collecting these days is a rare hobby with snail mail fast being put aside in favour of electronic mail. However, there are valuable lessons to be learned from stamps – symbols of a past era. Discover the world through stamps at the Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) as a guide takes your child through fascinating philatelic trivia and exposes them to the highlights of the SPM’s collection during a highlight tour specially tailored for them. Parents can then complete a fun quiz with their child, requiring them to look for answers amongst the galleries together and win attractive prizes!

The SPM, open to the public from 9am to 7pm, will also play home to colouring stations and Puppets Mania – a colourful puppet show presented for the first time at IMD! Meet our adorable hand-made puppets who will have you in stitches!

Does your kid prefer playing chef instead? Learn how to cook delicious Filipino snacks at So Sarap! – Kids’ Edition! Parents are welcome to join in and partner up with their children to whip up culinary masterpieces. Have a child whose dream is to become a young zoologist? In the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Danger workshop, children will learn all about the tiger, listen to tiger folktales, see a real-life tiger skull and skin and learn what they can do to save this magnificent animal from extinction. Children will also get to bring home their own tiger handicraft and win prizes should they prove to be expert craftsmen. Act fast though as vacancies are limited!

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How I wonder how you are…

How’s everybody doing after one mad week of IMD? Well, get some rest and prepare for another exciting weekend!

An epic legend of love and adventure is about to unfold under a sea of stars. The Peranakan Museum will host Ramayana under the Stars at Stamford Green on 22 May, with the classic tale coming alive as an immersive musical experience amidst engaging performances. Wayang kulit, pantomime sessions and gamelan shows will entrance audiences, whilst numerous stores will be selling local snacks such as otah and kueh tutu to ensure that visitors will not go hungry.

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International Museum Day (IMD) is back!

Ever the misnomer, IMD is not just any other day given a cool, official-sounding name, but rather a week jam-packed with family fun for the young and young-at-heart. Centred on the theme I Love Museums – Kid’s Edition, our museums have come up with a wide array of activities for the young ones that range from workshops to story-telling sessions and guided tours.
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