Introducing the Imagination Gallery
Education & Community Engagement
Intergenerational Learning Coordinator Abby Marden shares more about the newly installed Imagination Gallery, located on floor 2L of the Phillips House.
Artist Alexander Calder said, “If you can imagine a thing, conjure it up in space—then you can make it.” (1962). This quote is displayed in our new Imagination Gallery above an artmaking area for kids. The Imagination Gallery invites guests of all ages to imagine the possibilities of art. With two artworks on view, a space to make and display artwork, a range of seating, and a selection of reading materials for all ages, the goal is to provide a space where guests with kids can find hands-on engagement and learning opportunities. Above all, it is meant to be, in Duncan Phillips’s words, “a meeting place of many minds,” where visitors can find connection with each other and art.
Formerly known as the Family Gallery, we embraced a new name that reflects the many ways kids and their adults experience the Phillips. Whether visiting with family, caregivers, friends, or school groups, every young visitor should feel that this space is for them. To be more inclusive and ultimately invite any guest into this space, the name “Imagination Gallery” was chosen to inspire curiosity, wonder, and agency. The Phillips wants kids and adults to feel ownership over their museum visit. The Imagination Gallery may be visited at the beginning of a visit to spark an engaging start, in the middle to convene, or at the end to reflect. Or all of the above, of course!
For the artworks on view, we selected two pieces (out of the 6,000 in the permanent collection) that encourage guests to deepen their connection with each work and consider how the two may interact. Alexander Calder’s Only, Only Bird (1951) is a sculpture made of tin cans and wire, showcasing the artist’s playful approach to art and his signature mobile creations. The sculpture is displayed from the ceiling and moves slowly around in a circle. When you spot the bird, take a seat underneath it and see what colors or words you might find on the tin cans.
Across the room is a small table with stools designed for kids. On the table is a colorful spread of paper and colored pencils. Guests are invited to “imagine a thing” and create paper sculptures inspired by Calder. The activity prompt encourages experimentation through folding and tearing the paper in different ways. The result is an imaginative sculpture that guests may take with them or display on one of the shelves meant for guests to share their creations.
Guests may also find inspiration for their paper sculpture in Jennifer Wen Ma’s Brain Storm (2009). This 10-minute video work is made from a series of the artist’s hand-drawn ink paintings on rice paper. The ink begins to move in spontaneous ways, creating shapes that form a landscape changing over time, as well as two characters: a man and a horse. Ma explores how these characters “walk onward steadily, unwaveringly, silently, and seemingly with contentment.” Though they communicate in different ways, the man and the horse are on a journey together. Guests can follow along that journey, imagine themselves jumping in to join, and even catch a glimpse of the artist’s paintbrush. Take a seat on the comfy blue couch and immerse yourself in Ma’s brushstrokes.
Also found in the Imagination Gallery is a new collection of books, for both kids and adults. These titles were carefully chosen to represent a range of voices and artistic processes in addition to reading material about the artists on view.
We hope you will visit the Phillips soon to engage with this new space. After taking a closer look at the work of Calder and Ma, be sure to create your own artwork with the materials provided. We can’t wait to see the things you imagine!
