BENNINGTON- On Thursday, March 21, at 1:30 pm, Bennington Museum’s ABCs presents “Art and the five Senses.” This Museum ABCs program explores art using all Five senses. By ‘getting into’ one painting in detail, participants and their grown-up friends create a fuller art experience by imagining what sounds they might hear, or smells they might smell if they were actually in the painting. Practice using all five senses to describe a piece of art, and participants will even create some artwork based on what they hear.

Upon arrival, participants are given touch boxes to identify items using their sense of touch. Here the five senses and the use of each, particularly when visiting a museum, will be discussed. Moving into the Parmalee Gallery where the Engage exhibit is on view, one painting will be explored in depth using all five senses. Sight, and lack of sight, is brought into the program as grown-ups describe a familiar object which the child cannot see, and the child is asked to draw that object from the description. Drawing, music, and related stories pertaining to the program’s theme complete the visit.

Museum ABCs was developed and is presented in collaboration with the Bennington Free Library. It is a story hour that takes place once each month at 1:30 pm in the galleries of the Bennington Museum. Created especially for children ages 3 to 5, their parents, and caregivers, each monthly program includes stories about the selected topic, visits to galleries in the Bennington Museum to observe and talk about an actual piece(s) of art, and an art or craft activity. All children must be accompanied by at least one adult.

The museum is open Thursday through Tuesday, 10 am to 5 pm. Regular admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and students over 18. Admission is never charged for younger students or to visit the museum shop. Visit the museum’s website www.benningtonmuseum.org or call (802) 447-1571 for more information.