Suzanne's Mom's Blog

I’ve been following artist Diana Beltran Herrera on Instagram since I first blogged about her, here.

Recently her Instagram account led me to news about a children’s museum under development in Singapore. She wrote, “The Singapore commission I have been working over the past months is completed. This will be my first solo show in Singapore, to open early 2022, and it is the first exhibition of the new Children’s museum. …

“It is very important for me to educate through my work, make information accessible for all of us, and offer a new way to interact with nature. … Art is a very powerful medium of communication that can be used to discuss important subjects about our beautiful world.”

At Singapore’s ‘zine Mothership in March, Melanie Lim reported on an opening planned for 2021, but coronavirus seems to have moved the target.

“The Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM), which is currently closed for redevelopment, will re-open as a dedicated children’s museum, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) Grace Fu announced,” she wrote. “Speaking at MCCY’s Committee of Supply debate on Mar. 6, Fu elaborated that children will be able to ‘learn about a wide range of themes, including the heritage and culture of Singapore and the region, by playing with interactive and immersive exhibits.’

“According to the National Heritage Board (NHB), the new children’s museum will serve as a ‘starter museum’ to introduce young visitors and their families to the museum-going experience, and offer children’s programming all year round.

“Targeted at children aged 12 and below, it will also present them with the opportunity to learn about themselves, their nation and their place in the world. … For instance, there will be a permanent exhibition on ‘Singapore, Our Home,’ where children can learn how early pioneers lived and worked, and role-play as hawkers, coolies and merchants, Fu revealed.

“Meanwhile, SPM’s philatelic collection will continue to be used alongside other artifacts to support children’s learning in the new museum.

“Stamps make excellent educational resources for children who find them attractive and accessible, NHB added, and they will be part of the museum’s refreshed permanent galleries and special exhibitions.

“SPM will also complement National Gallery Singapore’s Keppel Centre for Art Education and Singapore Science Centre’s KidsSTOP, among others to create a more diverse and vibrant museum scene in Singapore.”

I admit to knowing little about Singapore other than that a childhood friend of Suzanne’s lives there now and that the people hang messages on outdoor trees at Christmas. I’m glad to be a little more au courant now.

More at Mothership, here.