The Young At Art Museum revealed its newly renovated outdoor, early childhood playground as PlayScapes, a vibrant space for ages 5 and under filled with art, music, literacy and play. Museum members joined donors, VIP guests and current and past YAA Museum Preschool families at this exclusive preview party that featured live music and outdoor activities. Acclaimed muralists and installation artists Felici Asteinza and Joey Fillastre, known as MILAGROS Collective, were selected to surround the space with a newly commissioned mural that promotes literacy and active play with interactive music, alphabet and games. PlayScapes offers opportunities for learning and physical activity for young visitors including children enrolled in the YAA Museum Preschool.
MILAGROS Collective’s signature effervescent patterns and playful color palette have been painted along the playground’s perimeter wall and central columns to energize the space. PlayScapes also includes a painted alphabet that promotes the first stages of reading in young children plus musical and active play elements including PVC pipe instruments and hop and count hopscotch. Each sculptural piece of play equipment has also been improved with eye-popping patterns courtesy of MILAGROS and will be surrounded by a brand-new turf flooring to cushion young visitors while sliding, see-sawing and interacting with all the elements around them. PlayScapes will also provide a home for the museum’s Move It Fridays (currently conducted inside the museum), a program encouraging better health through creative dance, balance, tumbling and movement.
PlayScapes is located adjacent to the museum’s early childhood WonderScapes Gallery, based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Young visitors and Museum Preschool children of all abilities will benefit from this accessible, outdoor space,building self-confidence and socialization skills through art, music, literacy and play.
PlayScapes is made possible by KaBOOM, a national non-profit organization dedicated to children’s play through a Play Everywhere grant funded by Target Corporation. Additional sponsorship is provided by the PNC Foundation and Marlins Foundation.
Entry to PlayScapes is included in General Admission to Young At Art Museum: $14 per person; $12 for Broward County residents, seniors and children over age 1; and $11 for military members and their immediate families. For more information, call 954-424-0085.
