CINCINNATI –The Rosenthal Education Center (REC) has been an exciting addition to the Cincinnati Art Museum, hosting more than 26,000 visitors since opening in March 2015. Designed to give children of all ages a hands-on experience inside the museum, the REC is inspiring in its own right. High ceilings, colorful graphics, inviting activities and plenty of brightly lit work space make this a must-see for museum visitors of all ages.

Made possible by a generous donation from Lois and Richard Rosenthal, the REC offers an area for families to engage with art in a fun, hands-on manner and features interactive exhibitions and hands-on art making. The space features rotating installations based on the permanent collection and special exhibitions. These interactive installations appeal to diverse age ranges and learning styles, while inviting entire families to play and learn together. The REC also serves as a studio for programs for all ages like Summer Camp, Wee Wednesday, Art in the Making, Connect, Creative Encounters and Evenings for Educators.

The REC is staffed with an art education specialist as well as volunteers with the goal of shaping future artists. The third interactive exhibition, REC 3D, opened on March 5. REC 3D explores the big, bold world of contemporary art and sculpture in the museum collection. One of the many activities gives visitors the opportunity to design, construct and display their own sculptural creations.

“The public acclaim for the new Rosenthal Education Center at the museum affirms the importance of this wonderful new addition to Cincinnati’s educational landscape,” said Cameron Kitchin, Cincinnati Art Museum Louis and Louise Dieterle Nippert Director. “We are proud of how the REC has set a course in its first year for the future of interactive arts education at the museum. Look forward to more to come.”

The facility is located in the heart of the museum off to the left of the Great Hall. The 2,300 square-foot space is surrounded by newly created and renovated galleries, now featuring the Antiquities galleries. The REC is free and open to the public every day that the museum is open, Tuesday–Sunday,
11 a.m.–5 p.m. Funding for early-educational programs provided by PNC Grow Up Great® and the William A. and Martha H. Hillenbrand Foundation.

About the Cincinnati Art Museum

The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Cincinnati Art Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Cincinnati Art Museum gratefully acknowledges operating support from the City of Cincinnati, as well as our members.

General admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is always free. The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is closed Monday.