Calendar of Events
Neuberger Museum of Art

backstory50: Our work with kids

Nearby the Neuberger is the Purchase College Children’s Center, which both of my kids attended. Periodically, teachers will bring the children by to explore our exhibitions.

Our connection to kids is core to our mission as an academic museum. 

From our earliest days, we’ve hosted tours of children from schools in the community. Our NEU Kids Art Access Program fills an educational gap by providing field trips to the Museum for Title 1 and other qualifying schools. This includes a one-hour guided tour with a Volunteer Museum Educator, waived admission fees, free round-trip school bus transportation and lunch at the main dining hall.

For many students, we are the Neuberger is the first Museum they’ve ever visited. We want their experience here to be so great that they start a lifetime of museum visits.

Diana Puglisi, our curator of education, did some detective work to discover how many students have toured the museum since our opening. The number is impressive. She also explains that school field trips are not the only way we have served kids in the community. Over fifty years, we’ve also created virtual experiences, partnered with libraries to bring activities home during the pandemic, delivered art-filled backpacks to an entire school to provide access to art processes and making, visited schools to give in-classroom lectures, participated in festivals, and hosted family events and free family days. Read more in Diana’s latest “Inside the NEU” profile.

So, today’s 50th anniversary thank-you goes to Diana, our dedicated Volunteer Museum Educators—past and present, and especially Susan and Alan Fuirst who have generously supported the education program and enabled the Skylight Gallery to be a source of creativity and engagement. You are inspiring the next generation of art lovers and museum goers.

Tracy Fitzpatrick
Director, Neuberger Museum of Art

Orange square with a white border and large numbers 50 with small letters neu overlapping the top of the 5 and the word Years beneath

Watch for a new backstory every Wednesday and follow us on social media as we share stories about the Museum’s history, our evolution to the present day, and look ahead to our exciting future. Stay up-to-date with the latest news and “NEU 50 Years” updates on our anniversary webpage.