Linda Rose held up one of her four young children and asked her in a soft voice what she could see through the magnifying glass. Behind her, Ball State University Museum of Art docent Kimberly Bortnem asked the group, ranging from toddlers to grandmothers, questions to stimulate their thinking.
"Are they wearing shoes? What colors are they wearing? What do those colors make you think of?" she asked as the museum guests peered at each painting.
More than one hundred Ball State students, children and adults participated in the Museum of Art's "India in Indiana Family Day" Sunday afternoon. The event was inspired by the museum's collection of Indian miniature paintings from the 17th through 19th centuries. In addition to taking guided tours of the exhibit, attendees could sample traditional Indian cuisine, learn the process of Indian art and watch contemporary dance performances.
Rose, an art teacher at Cornerstone Center for the Arts, said she brought her children because she knew the importance of exposing them to art and culture.
"I like how it is centered around one theme," she said. "It's not just random. And there's culture and art put together."
Tania Said, the museum's curator of education, said the museum planned the India-themed Family Day to actively engage the public in the miniature painting exhibit, to encourage people to understand India both as it was and as it is and to change how the community sees the museum.
"We wanted to turn the museum inside out and make it more accessible, so that it's not seen as this cold, marble temple," she said.
One element Said incorporated was a sand art demonstration, in which Srilatha Rajagopal, Anameka Selvam and other Indian-Americans drew geometric designs on the marble in the museum's Sculpture Court with just their hands and 10 bowls of vividly colored sand.
Rajagopal said historically sand art designs were drawn in doorsteps early in the morning when the ozone layer was thought to be purest, because the pure oxygen was believed to drive away evil spirits and welcome in friends and family.
She said the centuries-old custom had been passed down through generations from mother to daughter because they learned by watching no special technique to drawing the patterns exists.
"[I hope people get] just an exposure to other cultures," she said. "I hope they see how this can brighten up our lives, even though it's a small thing that we do."
Future events include "Expert Art: Poetry in Indian Miniature Paintings" on Nov. 23, in which participants will tour the miniature painting exhibit and write poetry or short stories based upon their own interpretations.
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