While CAM is not the place to go on a rainy day to release some energy, it is well worth a visit with a well-behaved, relaxed child, and you might be surprised how they react to contemporary art that some adults have a hard time appreciating.

GirlTalk has been up for a while and will close in about two weeks, on 1/14/2013. So this is your chance to see it, and a perfect one-parent-one-child outing. On a grown-up level, GirlTalk features works of nine women, who are all using text in their pieces to convey a message. I like the textile art by Lisa Anne Auerbach, seeing some small pieces by Jenny Holzer, a video (excerpts also available here) by Marily Minter, as well as the large dominant piece by Kay Rosen.

And while you ponder the works and messages on an abstract level, your budding reader will be happy to find big fat letters everywhere, and even some sight words.

If you’re done upstairs, and want to expose your little one to some truly fragile and beautiful sculptures, head downstairs for the Angel Otero exhibit. Handholding strongly recommended!

The image is CAM – Contemporary Art Museum by Suzie Tremmel, used under the CC BY license