From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Things To Do/Family Friendly Exhibits

Check out the newest exhibits at local attractions and museums for families and kids.

NEW THIS MONTH

JAPAN THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD
Opens Nov. 7 (Permanent Installation). Elementary-school-aged children can step into Japanese culture and experience it firsthand in this exhibition designed especially for them. Four Japanese "environments" transport young visitors from Florida to Japan. First is a train station platform where the fast "Bullet Train," the Shinkansen, has just pulled in. Next, an elementary school classroom shows kids what their Japanese counterparts are learning. A street of shops follows, and finally, a Japanese house invites youngsters to take off their shoes and walk on tatami floor mats, visit the kitchen and see a household bath and toilet. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach. 561-495-0233. Adults, $12; Seniors (65 and older), $11; Children ages 6-17, $7; College students with ID, $7; Children 5 and younger, free.

SHARING HISTORY: MRS. INERIA HUDNELL AND THE STUDENTS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL
Nov. 14-Jan. 3. This exhibit will feature artworks and writings by students inspired by the extraordinary collection of Mrs. Ineria Hudnell, as well as the students' own family histories. Students from Roosevelt Middle School, Palm Beach Lakes Community High School and the Youth Empowerment Center at Northwood will participate in this program. Hudnell will visit the museum to show her collection, celebrate the students' exhibition and meet the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 14 and from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 15. Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. 561-832-5196. Adults, $8; Ages 13-21, $3; Children 12 and younger, free.

SOUP OR ART AND FOOD DRIVE
Nov. 25-Dec. 24. Themed around the museum's current exhibition, "POP Art – The Andy Warhol Studio," the "Soup or Art" exhibition and food drive features a unique performance-art component as the soup can sculpture wall will continue to grow and change as more cans are donated and displayed. Anyone who brings a can of Campbell's soup to Young at Art will have the chance to autograph it and add it to the giving "can"vas wall, as well as receive half-price admission to the museum that day. On Christmas Day, the museum will donate all of the collected canned goods to the Food Pantry of Broward. Young at Art Children's Museum, 11584 W. State Road 84, Davie. 954-424-0085. General admission, $8; Seniors (62 and older), $7.50; Children younger than 2 and members, free.

ENDING THIS MONTH

TECH CITY
Through Nov. 1. Tech City features 12 interactive activity stations and exhibits that allow visitors to solve real-world problems that engineers face each day. What's shakin'? Build a structure that will hold up under the force of an earthquake. Visitors can also design a model for a city plaza, dam the creek to prevent it from flooding, build a bridge and more! Children's Science Explorium at Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. 561-347-3912. $2 donation.

CONTINUING

ELEGANCE IN IRON: THE ART OF JAPANESE TETSUBIN
Through Dec. 6. In 18th century Kyoto, literary men with an interest in Chinese learning rebelled against the formalized manner of the Japanese tea ceremony and took up the Chinese habit of drinking steeped tea. This act of defiance led to the development of the tetsubin, the Japanese cast-iron tea kettle. This exhibition draws from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kramer and features more than 90 tetsubin from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach. Call 561-495-0233. Adults, $10; Seniors, $9; Children and students ages 7-17, $6; Children 5 and younger, free.

GEORGE SEGAL: STREET SCENES
Through Dec. 6. This is the first exhibition to focus on the sculptor's exploration of the urban environment. Segal who was born and raised in New York City, and his interaction with the city and his ability to quietly observe and capture the urban sphere were central to his sculpture. "Street Scenes" portrays men and women, sitting, walking and talking in proximity to cinema marquees, parking garages, diners and buses. With the city as his muse, these full-scale recreations address often-overlooked, yet poignant encounters. Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. 561-832-5196 or visit www.norton.org. Adults, $8; Ages 13-21, $3; Children 12 and younger, free.

MOONLIGHT MEMORIES, PLUM BLOSSOM DREAMS: UKIYO-E JAPAENESE WOODBLOCK PRINTS FROM THE COLLECTION OF JAMES STEPP AND PETER ZIMMER
Through Dec. 6. Thirty images of Japan's "Floating World" of the 18th and 19th centuries depicting beautiful women, kabuki actors, landscapes and heroes from Japanese history will be featured at the museum. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach. Call 561-495-0233. Adults, $10; Seniors, $9; Children and students ages 7-17, $6; Children 5 and younger, free.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: THE 20TH CENTURY
Through Dec. 27. This exhibit features more than 50 paintings, photographs, sculptures and works on paper that capture New York's unique metropolitan sphere and the human interaction with it. The imagery in "New York, New York" is centered on some of the most notable and beloved features of the city, which can be seen in each of the five themes: "On the Waterfront," "Avenues and Streets," "In the Park," "On the Town" and "Tall Buildings." Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. 561-832-5196. Adults, $8; Children (13-21), $3, Children 12 and younger, free.

K'NEX: BUILDING THRILL RIDES
Through Jan. 5. Explore the science, math and technology behind hair-raising park thrill rides. Display models are made solely from K'nex rods and connectors and range from a roller coaster measuring more than 10 feet long to a 6-foot-tall Ferris wheel. The exhibition also includes building areas and hands-on experiments that let visitors explore various forces, forms of energy and types of motion. South Florida Science Museum, 4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach. 561-832-1988. Adults, $9; Children (3-12), $6; Children 2 and younger, free; Seniors (62 and older), $7.50; Members, free.

POP ART: THE ANDY WARHOL STUDIO
Through Jan. 10. This exhibit invites visitors to claim their 15 minutes of fame as they step into an interactive environment to create their own unique works of art similar in style to Warhol's infamous portrayal of iconic figures, including Mickey Mouse and the Wicked Witch of the West. Visitors can design an image out of newsprint and then take it to the silkscreen bed to "ink" the screen and finish an exclusive piece of art! Young at Art Children's Museum, 11584 W. State Road 84, Davie. 954-424-0085. Admission is $8 per person; Members and children younger than 2, free.

TORN FROM HOME: MY LIFE AS A REFUGEE
Through Jan. 10, 2010. This extraordinary, eye-opening, traveling exhibit allows visitors to "walk in the shoes" of refugee children who have been forced to flee their homes for fear of persecution. Designed for children ages 8 to 12, the exhibit gives a firsthand look into the often-challenging realities faced by refugees and their families, while revealing the personal triumphs of rebuilding their lives in a new land. Lisa Ann Watson Children's Museum at the Alper JCC, 11155 SW 112th Ave., Miami. 305-271-9000, ext. 265 or visit www.alperjcc.com. $5 per person.

CSI: CRIME SCENE INSECTS
Through Jan. 2010. Learn the secrets of crime-solving bugs! The museum will be offering visitors a rare opportunity to learn more about the mysterious world of crime scene investigation with this new exhibit. The exhibit dives into forensic entomology, the use of insects such as flies, maggots and beetles to reveal critical details of a crime scene, which is a fascinating practice that plays a vital role in solving a variety of crimes. The Miami Science Museum, 3280 S. Miami Ave., Miami. 305-646-4200. Regular admission; Adults, $18; Seniors 62 and older, $16; Students with ID, $16; Children 3-12, $13; Children younger than 3, free.