Most parents have had the stern ‘look but don’t touch’ chat with their little ones – not least when they’re in an expensive shop or a museum.
But one mother was left aghast when her art-loving three-and-a-half year old was refused entry to one of the world’s most prestigious galleries.
The Neue Galerie in New York is currently displaying Edvard Munch’s famed The Scream. It’s a painting that little Alice Choina has loved since she was just two.
But when her mum Diane, along with dad Tamir, and her 14-month old baby sister, Ania, tried to see the exhibit they were told that although the infant could attend in a sling, Alice would have to stay outside.
“Before heading to the Met this afternoon we tried going to the Neue Galerie,” Brooklyn-resident Diane wrote on her Facebook page – which is full of pictures of her eldest daughter alongside some of New York’s most famous pieces of art.
“Edvard Munch's The Scream is currently on exhibit and Alice was looking forward to seeing it all week. She even drew a picture of it on the subway ride in.
“I had no idea the Galerie doesn't allow children. She was heart-broken when she found out. Over dinner she thought of ways to get in without anyone realizing she was a child.
Most adult museum visitors can learn a thing or 2 from kids like Alice. @NeueGalerieNY should reconsider its policy. https://t.co/pWR2sfIO6G
— Anna Rogulina (@anna_rogulina) March 20, 2016
“Making herself look like an "old man" made it to the top of the list and she insisted on executing her vision right away. I told her that the disguise was clever, but that I didn't think it would work.
“She went on. She said that if she promised to be quiet and leave after viewing the painting, maybe the Galerie would let her in to see it. I promised her I'd ask.”
With support now flooding in from fellow parents, Alice’s mum and dad have put together a YouTube clip appealing to the Neue Galerie to make an exception – because “kids love art too”.
When asked about their no-children policy, a spokesperson for the Neue Galerie told The New York Post that the museum has many fragile works of decorative art that aren’t protected by display cases, saying that an age restriction allows the museum to keep these pieces safe.
