Kiddin' Around: Horace Pippin at the Brandywine
Horace Pippin exhibition at the Brandywine offers lessons for kids into art, history and art history
The long: A master storyteller with quite the story of his own, West Chester native Horace Pippin (1888-1946) believed in art against odds - and won. Saturday, the Brandywine River Museum shows 65 of his life's 140 frank, fabulous, historic works.
The short: African-American folk artist brings it in a way that children get.
The demo: Ages 5 on up.
When to go: This weekend through July 19.
Before you go: Read A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin, an award-winning kids' book about the artist.
Kid appeal: "Pippin had a very direct form of communication in his art," said a museum rep. "He was known for simplifying forms. A child can look at his work and definitely find the time of day, the season, the emotions. The stories are right there to be discovered."
Great start: The artist began making art with a box of crayons won in a contest.
Adult themes: A Harlem Hellfighter in World War I, Pippin gravely injured his dominant arm and had to relearn to paint. Among his more difficult subjects: the trial and hanging of abolitionist John Brown.
Special day: Sunday, May 3, A Splash of Red author Jen Bryant will be on hand to read and sign books, and first- and fifth-graders from Coatesville's Friendship Elementary will exhibit Pippin-inspired works.
Outdoor tour: Museum offers online guide to walkable West Chester sites from Pippin's life and subjects: his home, the Chester County Courthouse, the red park bench he painted in "Man on a Bench."
The basics: 1 Hoffman's Mill Road, Chadds Ford, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily (opens Saturday), $6-$15, under 6 free, 610-388-2700, brandywine.org.