KIds, Kids, Kids

Kids seem to be the focus of the current exhibit at the Ripley Center, and the major current exhibit at the Museum of African Art. That is unusual and, what is more, when I went to see them today, there were no kids at either show. I don't know how they are being promoted.

The Ripley Center exhibit is called Amazon Voyage. It is not an art exhibit, but a natural science exhibit, with a very long participating sponsor and contributor list. The concentration is on nasty animals.

Do you know that there was a prehistoric piranha which looks just like today's but was much, much bigger? Do you know that there are a large number of catfish varieties, including some known as blood suckers, which feed on blood of animals (including people)? Do you know there are sting rays in the Amazon? And caymens in the jungle? And other dangerous creatures?

But, do you also know that the biggest problems in the Amazon are not the animals, but the non-indigeneous peoples?

A lot of pictures and bones and movies and music and boats and ship captains and whatever is the equivalent of karaoke for dancers.

At the African Art Museum, there is a fairly large exhibit called Big and Small, again which seems to be targeted to children, although some of the pieces are high enough that small children will have a problem. The pieces are all very, very nice. There are BIG masks, there are BIG sculptures, there are LITTLE figurines. Other than some items are big and some are little and that they are all African, I could not quite figure out the exhibit.

There is another exhibit at the museum (there are two exhibits in preparation), called Personal Items, which is also quite enjoyable. The stools seem all uncomfortable, but not nearly as uncomfortable as the wooden head/sleeping rests. The pipes are very well done. And there are combs and hairpieces, and dolls, and snuff boxes, and dishes and spoons.

But I would probably wait until the next exhibits open before taking a trip here.