Wawelak Explains Art — a series of meetings for children aged 3–6 with caregivers

Wawelak Explains Art — a series of meetings for children aged 3–6 with caregivers

At Wawel there hasn't been a monarch living here for a long time, and art reigns in the castle. The chambers and halls are full of works from all eras and parts of the world. How to make sense of it all? Wawelak comes to the rescue! In the upcoming series, Wawelaks will dive deeply into the world of visual arts. During each meeting we will literally workshop one artwork: we will look at it carefully, understand what it was used for, and make our own interpretations of the object.

Organizational information:

• Audience: children aged 3–6 with caregivers (due to limits on the number of people in exhibitions, we ask that each child be accompanied by a maximum of two adults)
• Due to limited space, when purchasing a ticket for one child, one adult may enter for free.
• Contact for coordinators: bmateja@wawelzamek.pl, jjozwiak@wawelzamek.pl
• A season ticket entitles entry to the session at a designated time: 9:30, 11:00 or 12:30
• Duration of the meeting: 60 minutes

Plan for each meeting:

• museum part: an educator introduces children to Wawel stories, drawing them into a world full of adventures and curiosities
• workshop part: hands-on activities

Coordination: Barbara Mateja, Jagoda Jóźwiak

SEASON TICKETS

• 9:30: 9:30
• 11:00: no tickets
• 12:30: 12:30

SCHEDULE OF SESSIONS

📅 28.02 — How to paint Wawel so it looks alive?
The Wawelaks will look closely at the Wawel presented in the exhibition according to Edward Dwurnik. We will consider what makes the castle in the painting look as if it wants to jump out of the frame and try to achieve a similar effect during the workshop part by creating a pop-up card.
Meeting point: the arcaded courtyard, in front of the entrance to the exhibition "A może coś innego? Współczesność na Wawelu."

📅 07.03 — What does the castle reflect in?
The obvious answer seems to be: the castle reflects in the Vistula. But is that the only reflection? At the exhibition the Wawelaks will see various reflections, or rather prints of the castle, and learn what printmaking is about. Different types of matrices, that is stamps, will be discussed, and in the workshop part each Wawelak will make their own matrix and print using the collograph technique.
Meeting point: in front of building no. 7 (outside the building with the "Wawel Odzyskany" exhibition)

📅 28.03 — Where to look for decorated eggs on Wawel?
Spring has arrived at Wawel. Soon the castle gardens will delight us with their splendor. Spring is a time of beginnings and the birth of new life, and its symbol is undoubtedly the decorated egg. The Wawelaks will learn that decorated eggs were painted since time immemorial. In the workshop part we will make dry-felted eggs.
Meeting point: in front of building no. 7 (outside the building with the "Wawel Odzyskany" exhibition)

📅 11.04 — How to make a tapestry?
The Wawelaks will learn the complex process of creating tapestries, from painting the design, through dyeing threads to weaving and finishing the object. A tactile tapestry will help us understand the process. In the workshop part the Wawelaks will weave their own woven flowers.
Meeting point: the arcaded courtyard, in front of the entrance to the poselska staircase.

📅 25.04 — What is sculpture?
Spring has firmly settled at Wawel. Besides plants, sculptures can be admired in the gardens and we will devote our attention to them. The Wawelaks will consider what distinguishes sculpture from other art forms. In the workshop part we will model clay plates, which we will decorate in a special way during the next meeting.
Note: People absent during these classes will have plates prepared by the organizer at the next meeting.
Meeting point: in front of the entrance to the gardens

📅 16.05 — How can one scratch something out?
This time we will focus on ancient art, specifically vase painting. The Wawelaks will learn that craftsmen who painted vases had to scratch quite a bit in their work: decorations on ancient vessels were laboriously scratched out. In the workshop part we will decorate previously made vessels ourselves using a technique inspired by red-figure painting.
Note: People absent at the previous (25.04) meeting will have plates prepared by the organizer. People absent at the discussed (16.05) meeting will receive their plates glazed and fired without decoration.
Meeting point: in front of the entrance to the gardens

📅 30.05 — How to forge something on a metal sheet?
Ancient craftsmen were able to create richly decorated metal objects for everyday use. The Wawelaks will learn how such items were made in pre-industrial times, and in the workshop part they will create their own metal works of art using very simple tools known to humanity since the Bronze Age.
Meeting point: the arcaded courtyard, in front of the entrance to the exhibition "Antyki Lanckorońskich"

During selected workshops photographs will be taken and published on the Castle's website and shared with participants.
More about personal data processing