BIG EASY: New Orleans Museum of Art

At long last, I decided to take advantage of NOMA’s freebee Wednesday afternoon – and to take my son with me. He’s a typical five year old, so I pretty much knew what to expect: mild to moderate interest followed by a rapid decline. So, I decided to sweeten the deal by throwing in lunch at Ralph Brennan’s Courtyard Café, located on the first level of the museum. He was psyched. As was I.

I’d checked online and it didn’t give specifics, but mentioned a kids’ menu, so I thought I was home-free. We made a bee-line as soon as we got there because we all know, a full tummy will buy you at least a little more patience (this usually goes for husbands, too, right?). I scanned the menu and saw amazing cheese plates and a really great assortment of paninis, soups, salads and such at very reasonable prices -- mostly under $10. Excellent.

What I hadn’t counted on was the proliferance of cheese, with the kids’ selections limited to grilled cheese and flatbread pizza. And here’s me with – you guessed it -- the only non-cheese-eating kid on the planet. Uh oh. I really thought I was a goner when they told me they had no plain lemonade, just the fancy basil variety. The only option, other than water, is flavored Italian soda – and he can’t stand carbonation. Oy, right?!

After a little negotiation with him and some amenability on the café’s part, we managed to put together a side order of roast chicken, a bag of Zapp’s, and ice water with as many lemon wedges as he cared to jam into it. I ordered a lovely little spinach salad and finally we got to enjoy the sleek, airy space with its floor-to-ceiling windows that afford views of both the park and the quaint patio, filled with umbrella-shaded tables.

Appetites sated and a wad of bubblegum shoved into his mouth (for insurance purposes), we ventured into the galleries. The Ancestors of the Congo Square African art exhibit was a hit with its super cool masks, exotic statues and animal-skull-infused pieces. A couple of the other exhibits had sporadic pieces that piqued his interest, but about 30 minutes into our somewhat fast-forwarded tour, I sensed the end was drawing nigh. I managed to squeeze another 15 minutes out of him as we breezed through pretty much every remaining gallery on the museum's three floors, but we moms know when the party’s over.

Naturally, it was on our way out that I discovered the secret to getting my kid more interested in the art. I let him take a few pictures with my phone and I saw the light come on. I asked which was his favorite piece in the whole museum, and I let him go take a few shots. (That’s the “naughty dogs,” as we referred to them, at right, as photographed by my boy. I wish I could blame the lopsided photo of the exterior of the museum on him, too -- but that's all me and my cockeyed view of the world...)

Holy smokes, why didn’t I think of this sooner?! Even if it’s just a disposable one, I’m definitely going to give him a camera next time we hit a museum. Eureka! Now, I’m not naive enough to think this will result in a three-hour in-depth tour, but what better way to encourage them to really check out the art than to give them the freedom to photograph the stuff that catches their eye? Then, you can tell them a little about each one. It’s guerilla education at its finest.

All in all, it went pretty well. I’m a firm believer in exposing our kids to the arts as early and as often as possible (whether they like it or not--ha!) – and I’m hoping he’ll have more of an interest/appreciation after the George Rodrigue arts camp next week. We’ll definitely be back to try the camera thing. HOWEVER, I'm thinking my next visit will involve some Manchego cheese, Sauvignon Blanc and a leisurely and thoughtful stroll through the galleries with a girlfriend!

Ahh.

For more information on NOMA, their special exhibitions and their calendar of events, visit www.noma.org.