Galleries for families this half-term

Parsons Green Prep’s art teacher, Miss Alison, has assembled a collection of great art exhibitions to visit in London this half-term with your children.

Royal Academy

Impressionists on Paper – Degas to Toulouse Lautrec. Until 10 March 2024.

You might be more familiar with their paintings but this exhibition looks at works on paper by luminaries such as Degas, Cézanne, Morisot and van Gogh. The RA is very centrally located in Piccadilly in London, meaning there are plenty of things to do nearby before or after a visit, from a coffee or a meal to shopping or seeing a film in the West End.

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/impressionists-on-paper

Museum of London

There are plenty of activities to get involved with at the Museum of London this half-term. You can shop like a Victorian by taking a stroll down a recreated Victorian street, looking at the wares in a toy shop and seeing where a gentleman may have his beard trimmed in a real a barber shop. There are also Middle Eastern and North African cookery classes and Roman artefacts from the collection to handle.

https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/families/visit-museum-london

Tate Modern

See your drawings come to life using the digital sketch pads at Tate Modern. Visitors can take a seat at one of the numerous drawing desks and create their own piece of art using the digital sketch pads. Works will be projected on the wall and you can also save it to your phone or adorn a t-shirt with your masterpiece. People can also join this activity online. Don’t forget to share your art at #TateDraw.

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern/tate-draw

Dulwich Picture Gallery

Soulscapes is all about artists from the African diaspora retelling the story of landscapes in a contemporary way.  The exhibition will examine themes of joy, memory, belonging and transformation and it features a site-specific installation and large-scale pieces. Media include film, painting, textile, collage and photography.

https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2024/february/soulscapes/

National Portrait Gallery

Family day: Picture This on 13 February from 11.00 to 16.00.

The NPG is offering families creative workshops that will examine portrait photography. You can also explore the gallery with their free activity trails, which can be collected from the Family Desk on Floor 0. Bring a picnic to enjoy in the lunch space, which can be found on Floor -3 in the Learning Centre. The workshops are on a first-come, first-served basis with limited capacity.

https://www.npg.org.uk/visit/families-visits/#acc51