Museum programs expose families to art

If there's a children's program at the Morris Museum of Art, chances are the Bondar family will be there.

"We come to almost every event," said Angelika Selman-Bondar, an art teacher who said she likes to expose her children, Susanna Bondar, 11, Alexander Bondar, 9, and Erika Bondar, 5, to as many art-related activities as possible.

On a recent Saturday, the Columbia County family was among those attending the museum's Artrageous! Family Day featuring Nancy Basket, an American Indian storyteller and fiber artist who lives in Walhalla, S.C.

Patrons made baskets from kudzu vine and fiber paper.

"It's a random free form basket that looks like a birds' nest," said Basket, who added some American Indian stories and culture to the program.

There are two different types of Artrageous! programs at the Morris Museum of Art.

At 2 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month, Artrageous! Family Sundays feature an art activity based on a museum exhibit. Sunday programs are free at the museum.

The Saturday family programs have been scheduled intermittently this year; however, in September, they will go to a monthly format as well, said Emma Wilson, a community public program coordinator.

These programs include an art activity not necessarily based on a current exhibit and some type of performance, from storytelling to puppet shows.

"We want children and teenagers to take ownership. Any time the community is involved, it increases the chances they will come back," she said.

The Saturday programs will be from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and regular museum admission is charged. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, students and military with ID, and free for museum members and children younger than 6.

For more information, call the museum at (706) 724-7501 or visit the museum Web site at www.themorris.org.