Weekend family fun at Bronx Museum

Child art The Bronx Museum offers creative ways for your children to interact with their community through art.
Credit: Thinkstock

Looking for something fun to do with the whole family on the weekend — that also gets you inside and away from the heat? The Bronx Museum has a variety of events and exhibits that all ages might enjoy.

Here are three upcoming events that all tie into one theme: Some are at night, with booze; others are in the daytime and geared toward kids and young adults. All of them are thematically related, and together they create experiences that everyone in your household can talk about around the dinner table:

1. We Build This City

Get to know the borough a little better through art. This Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. is We Build This City, an event with activities and workshops that allow participants to learn about and construct replicas of iconic buildings throughout the Bronx. Artwork will also be inspired by the Bronx Museum’s current exhibition, “Beyond the Supersquare” and “One Kind of Behavior” (see below). Guest artists Shyu Ruey-Shiann and James Rojas lead the fun. Plus, children 12 and under get in free with their parent or guardian! It helps to register online before attending.

2. ‘One Kind of Behavior’

Shyu Ruey-Shiann will be on hand for We Build This City on Saturday, so it might be fun to take the kids to his exhibit at the Bronx Museum before attending. “One Kind of Behavior” is inspired by the semi-mechanical movement of animals like hermit crabs. Seeing the installations at work, seemingly alive while simulating their creature counterparts, brings to mind the differences — and similarities — between humans and animals and machines. The exhibition will be open through Aug. 17.

3. Artist Spotlight with Shyu Ruey-Shiann

If learning about Shyu Ruey-Shiann piques your interest, you can meet him in person next week on July 18. You might want to leave the younger ones at home while you have an adults-only night in the museum lounge from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (North Wing Lobby). You can get to know the artist and his inspirations for the exhibition mentioned above — then bring home extra tidbits for the kiddies to devour. Have any questions? There’s also a Q-and-A scheduled. There’s free admission and a donation-based bar — not too shabby for a Friday night.