An intuitive exploration of art-making
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
The de Young Museum tasked Tellart to bring to life a new play space concept, the de Youngsters Studio. Dedicated to engaging children’s curiosity through state-of-the-art design and technology, this free space aims at attracting families with children ages 2-10 to the museum. Through discovery and prototyping, Tellart developed the interactive experience, refined it with users of various ages and built it to have a lasting impact.
Children and parents explore together
The play space focuses on five principles of art making: Color, Composition, Shape and Form, Texture and Sculpture. The concept posed unique challenges for Tellart to implement including the development of a digital color mixing column, as well as the creation of augmented reality stations allowing kids to see the sculptures they make in different materials, sizes and locations around the museum. The result is an exciting new experiential learning environment that will engage kids and adults alike.
Making art more accessible and encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to explore, this experience needed to be approachable and intuitive. The space provides parents and children alike with tools for understanding the unique role that visual arts play in fostering innate curiosity. With an opportunity to see the artwork created in the space featured alongside works from the de Young collection, the barriers begin to fade. Not only does the space offer new ways of engaging with art making, but offers an opening to form a new relationship with this venerated cultural institution.
“We have received such wonderful feedback from soft launch users who say that the de Youngsters Studio makes the de Young feel significantly more family friendly. It is clear that children and families enjoy the space and are encouraged to engage with the elements of art and be curious. It is an understatement to say that your team has been a pleasure to work with.”
Sheila Pressley, Director of Education, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Highlights
- Project executed in six months
- Collaboration with de Young Museum’s departments of Education, IT, Marketing, PR, Giving and Facilities
- The installation officially debuts December 1, 2018 to the public and will be open during regular museum hours indefinitely
Project team
Tellart worked closely with the following partners:
Conceptual design: fuseproject
Architecture and engineering: Chris DeHenzel, Jon Brody Engineers
Fabrication and installation: Chicago Scenic Studios, Scenic Inc., 42 Design Fab, Sterling Graphics
Selected Press