A #MetKids Comic from Guest Contributor Sharee Miller

Sharee Miller

March 18, 2021

Have you ever visited The Met? Maybe you've visited a different museum or gallery? Being surrounded by art can inspire many feelings like joy, calm, or reflection. Looking at an artwork can make you feel connected to the person who made it, or it can inspire you to make artwork of your own.

Children's book author and illustrator Sharee Miller knows these feelings well. The creator of books like Don't Touch My Hair, Princess Hair, and Michelle's Garden has created a new comic for #MetKids about all the reasons she loves to visit the Museum. And stick around afterwards for a special activity inspired by the comic.

The upper half of this comic book page is a drawing of the front steps of The Met Fifth Avenue. A text box reads: There are many things I love about The Met." In the lower left, a young girl in a pink sweater and green beretwalks up the steps. A text box reads: "The Grand Staircase that greets you as you enter." Next, the girl purchases a ticket at the ticket desk and is greeted by a visitor services host who says Hello! Finally she places a sticker on her shirt. The text box reads "Even the sticker that lets everyone know that you've been to The Met that day."

On the top half of this comic page, a confident girl in glasses, green beret, and pink sweater stands in a gallery at The Met surrounded by arches and a handful of fellow visitors. She unfolds a map in her hand. A text box reads: "But when it comes to my favorite artwork, it's hard to say." A text box below it, in its own panel, reads "There are so many things to see. You can spend all day and not see it all." In the image below, the artist reproduces the map of the museum's first floor that the girl holds in her hands.

In this comic page, the girl in the pink sweater and green beret stands in the met's high ceilinged, skylit Greek and Roman hall. A Roman statue of a man with arms outstretched and a dog at his side is in the center of the page. Visiting individuals and families stand to either side of her. A text box over the image read: "The statues in the Greek and Roman section make me feel like I've been transported to another place." Below the larger image are two drawings of the girl admiring other pieces of art, a large vase that towers over her and a collection of huge canvas masks from Oceania. A text box reads "I love learning about other cultures through art."

In this comic page, a girl in a pink sweater and green beret stands in a tall-ceilinged Met gallery with a wall of well lit windows. In the center of the gallery is an Egyptian temple. Fellow visitors wander around and admire the temple. A text box reads: "Entering the Egyptian Hall feels like I'm stepping back in time." In the drawing beneath it, the girl ascends the main stairwell of at the center of The Met. Columns are on both sides of the stairwell. A text box reads, "But I think my favorite area of The Met is upstairs where the paintings are."

In the top drawing of this comic page, a girl in a pink sweater and green beret admires a painting of trees and grass beneath a cloudy blue sky. A text box reads: "I can spend hours just looking at brush strokes and getting lost in the colors." In the panel below it, she looks at a Degas painting of two ballerinas practicing in a dance studio. A text box reads, "The paintings are so impressive. They make me feel small but that's okay." In the final panel, the girl stands beside a smaller girl in a mustard colored sweater and indigo skirt. They stand before a huge painting of water lillies by Monet. A text box reads: "You can enjoy art at any size."

A drawing of a picture frame on the margin of a large space for doodling. Top text: "Draw a picture of what inspires you!" Bottom text: "Print and Share!"

Now it's your turn! Print out this frame and use it to draw some of the things that inspire you. They can be art or people or something from your home or neighborhood. Afterwards, you can share your framed inspirations with us at metkids@metmuseum.org!

You can find out more about Sharee and her art at her website.

Sharee Miller

Sharee Miller is an author and illustrator based in New Jersey. She creates bright and colorful illustrations in both traditional and digital mediums. Her books include Don't Touch My Hair, Princess Hair, and Michelle's Garden. You can learn more about her and her work at www.shareemiller.com