Check out these kid-friendly exhibits and family shows opening in February.
Exhibits
Pennsylvania
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Love Letters, a new series of Phila. murals spanning from 46th St. through 63rd St., opens Feb. 12. The murals feature artistic text that read like love notes between neighborhoods. A public tour of the murals is offered Feb. 13, 10am, starting at LOVE Park at 1600 Arch St. $17.
A new exhibit, Ancient Rome & America, opens Feb. 19 & runs through Aug. 1 at the National Constitution Center. Five galleries of artifacts explore the connections between the two civilizations. Compare and contrast the busts of Julius Caeser and George Washington, and a gladiator helmet and a contemporary Eagles’ football helmet. Other items not to miss with the kids: remnants of Pompeii, letters exchanged between John & Abigail Adams and books once owned by the Founding Fathers. $12-$20, ages 3 & younger free.
The Phila. Museum of Art exhibits nearly 200 paintings, drawings & sculptures by Picasso, Léger, Dalí & other 20th century artists in Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris, Feb. 24-April 25. Free with admission, $12-$16, ages 12 & younger free.
Artwork by Hispanic, African American and Asian artists is on display at the Chadds Ford Gallery through March 28. Event opening: Fri., Feb. 12, 5pm.
Delaware & South Jersey
Love is in the air at the Rockwood Mansion in Wilmington this month. See an exhibit of valentines & poetry in the mansion, and the dining room is set for an old-fashioned Valentine’s Day supper. Free with admission, $2-$5.
Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney, a new exhibit at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, Feb. 6-May 16, features more than 60 paintings & mixed media objects depicting an imaginary island where humans & dinosaurs live in harmony. Free with admission, $6-$12, ages 6 & younger free.
Kids can learn all about mosquitoes, fleas, ticks & other parasites in the Attack of the Bloodsuckers exhibit at the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington, Feb. 20-May 16. Free with admission, $5-$7.
Through April 30, the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey in Newtonville exhibits the work of local artists, including the children’s book Zimba the Turtle by Joyce McAdoo with illustrations by Michael Roche, along with special dolls. An opening reception will be held Feb. 20, 1pm.
Performances
Pennsylvania
Get in the groove at the Please Touch Museum’s 18th Annual Junior Jazz Festival. The month-long musical celebration at the Phila. children’s museum features concerts & theater shows that introduce jazz music to kids. Highlights: Latin jazz guitarist Louie Miranda, Feb. 13-15, Phila.’s Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble, Feb. 20-21 and a Big Band Swing Dance Party, Feb. 28. Free with admission, $15.
The Kimmel Center in Phila. presents three shows at nearby theaters this month. Sing along to “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be” and other Beatles hits during RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles, Feb. 2-6, at the Academy of Music. Trade rock ‘n’ roll favorites for Broadway showtunes with The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Feb. 9-14, also at the Academy, featuring songs from Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera and other famous musicals. And coming Feb. 26-28 to the Merriam Theater: the classic orphan tale Annie. $20-$85.
See Shakespeare’s classic love story Romeo & Juliet on stage at the Arden Theatre Company in Phila., Feb. 25-April 11. Recommended for grades 8 & older. $16-$48.
South Jersey
The classic musical Fiddler on the Roof comes to the Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, Feb. 26-Mar. 7. $12-$16.
Stephanie Halinski is calendar editor of MetroKids.
