Release Date: February 7, 2014

Free Family-Friendly Films at the National Gallery of Art This Winter

Film still from Papiroflexia (Joaquin Baldwin, 2007) to be shown at the National Gallery of Art on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 as part of the program Nature Unfolds.

Washington, DC—The winter season of the popular Film Program for Children and Teens kicks off in February with Creative Adventures, in which the ordinary becomes extraordinary through the power of imagination. In March, The Secret of Kells tells the story of the famed Book of Kells; The Rooster Trademark Paper follows Amir, a young boy who strives to make his dream of becoming an artist a reality. Nature Unfolds, featuring animated shorts that celebrate the beauty of nature, is presented in collaboration with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital.

With its broad range of recent films selected for their appeal to youth and adult audiences, the program helps foster an understanding of film as an art form. Age recommendations are intended to guide parents in selecting emotionally and intellectually stimulating films for their children.

Families may use the children's audio and video tours to take a closer look at the Gallery's own works of art. Designed especially for children ages 7 to 12, the audio tour highlights 50 masterpieces on display in the West Building, Main Floor Galleries. Available online, the children's video tour encourages users to engage with these renowned paintings, both at the museum and at home.

With a full winter schedule of free activities, as well as creative toys and gifts in the Children's Shop and casual dining in the Cascade Café, the National Gallery of Art welcomes families to explore and enjoy great works of art.

For more information about family programming, visit www.nga.gov/family.

Film Program for Children and Teens

All film programs are shown in the East Building Auditorium. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups are welcome. Food and drink are not permitted. Programs are free and subject to change without notice. For up-to-date information on the current month's films, please call (202) 789-3030. Feature films are in English unless otherwise noted.

Creative Adventures
Saturday, February 8, at 10:30 am
Sunday, February 9, at 11:30 am
Ages 7 and up
Stretch your imagination and let the ordinary become extraordinary with this series of animated shorts. Films include The Lost Thing (Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan, Australia, U.K., 2010); The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (Brandon Oldenburg and William Joyce, U.S., 2011); Simple Harmonic Motion #5 (Memo Akten, U.K., 2011); Sleeping Betty (Claude Cloutier, Canada, 2007); and Luminaris (Juan Pablo Zaramella, Argentina, 2011). Approximately 60 minutes.

The Secret of Kells
Saturday, March 15, at 10:30 am
Sunday, March 16, at 11:30 am
Ages 7 and up
This exquisitely animated story about the famed Book of Kells is set in Ireland in the ninth century. Twelve-year-old Brendan lives in a remote woodland area, in the old Kells Abbey. He and the monks have been instructed by Brendan's authoritarian uncle to strengthen the fortifications in order to protect the abbey from a Viking invasion. The boy's life changes forever when Brother Aidan comes to the abbey. A master illustrator, Aidan has more faith in the power of the written word than in walls. Brendan learns the art of manuscript illumination and is given the task of ornamenting the final pages of Aidan's very special book. But the assignment is not an easy one—Brendan must first survive a journey through forests inhabited by strange mythical beasts! (Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, France/Belgium/Ireland, 2009, 75 minutes)

The Rooster Trademark Paper
Saturday, March 22, at 10:30 am
Sunday, March 23, at 11:30 am
Ages 9 and up
When Amir, a young boy who dreams of becoming an artist, sees an advertisement for a visual arts competition, he is inspired to enter. Although he works hard selling newspapers and making deliveries for a local store, he struggles to purchase the costly Rooster Trademark paper that all entrants must use to qualify for the contest. Amir’s passion and drive is bolstered by his community, as he strives to make his dream a reality. In Farsi with English subtitles. (Maryam Milani, Iran, 2012, 93 minutes) Shown in collaboration with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital.

Nature Unfolds
Saturday, March 29, at 10:30 am
Sunday, March 30, at 11:30 am
Ages 4 and up
As the seasons change, Earth’s canvas is adorned with new colors and textures. These animated shorts celebrate nature’s unfolding beauty. Films will include: Into Spring (Udo Prinsen, Netherlands, 2011); The Girl and the Fox (Tyler Kupferer, U.S., 2011);  The Little Bird and the Leaf (Lena von Döhren, Switzerland, 2012); Papiroflexia (Joaquin Baldwin, U.S., 2007); Winter Has Come (Vassily Shlychkov, Russia, 2012); The Mantis Parable (Josh Staub, U.S., 2005); and Knitted Nights (Gil Alkabetz, Germany, 2009). Approximately 60 minutes. Shown in collaboration with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital.

Children's Audio Tour: West Building Highlights
Acoustiguide Desk, West Building, Main Floor, Rotunda
Explore 50 paintings in the West Building with an audio tour designed especially for children ages 7 to 12. To reserve audio tours for groups of 10 or more, call (202) 842-6592. Free of charge. The National Gallery of Art Children's Audio Tour is made possible through the generous support of the MSST Foundation.

Children's Video Tour: West Building Highlights
The video tour enables children to explore works of art on display in the West Building of the National Gallery of Art through an online tour featuring 50 videos. Children's Video Tour online

Family Guides: Italian, Dutch, and American Art at the National Gallery of Art
Gallery Information Desks
Designed for families with children ages 6 and up, each free family booklet includes activities to guide visitors' exploration of the Gallery's Italian, Dutch, and American collections and questions to encourage group discussions. The guides may be downloaded here. The guides are made possible through the generous support of the MSST Foundation.

NGAkids Online

An entertaining and informative introduction to art and art history, NGAkids offers a variety of art-making tools, games, and narratives suitable for children of all ages.

The Children's Shop

The Children's Shop on the Concourse offers an array of art-inspired items for children, including books, games and puzzles, toys, artists' supplies, and DVDs. Browse selection online

Cascade Café

Concourse
Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
The Cascade Café offers a selection of soups, salads, specialty entrees, wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, and desserts. For those with limited time, prepackaged lunch boxes containing a sandwich, chips, cookie, and a beverage may be ordered in advance. For information about boxed lunches and group lunch vouchers, call (202) 712-7458.

Espresso & Gelato Bar

Concourse
Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
In addition to tea, coffee, and specialty espresso beverages, the Espresso & Gelato Bar offers 19 flavors of house-made gelato and a selection of fresh sandwiches, salads, pastries, and desserts.

Sculpture Garden Ice Rink

Monday–Thursday, 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Friday–Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Weather permitting
7th Street and Constitution Ave NW
Visitors of all ages may view magnificent sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying music from the state-of-the-art sound system. For admission and rental prices, visit www.nga.gov/skating.