Public Lecture: Brian Belott & Jenn Digioia present "Rhoda Kellogg: Childhood Scholar, Teachings, & Collection"

October 23, 7pm
205 Hudson Gallery
205 Hudson Street (at Canal St.)
New York, NY 10013

Presented by Brian Belott and Jenn Digioia

Rhoda Kellogg (1898-1987) was a psychologist and early-childhood educator and the director of the Phoebe A. Hearst Preschool Learning Center (which was a part of the Golden Gate Kindergarten Association, in San Francisco) for nearly three decades. Over the course of her lifetime, Kellogg amassed a collection of more than two million drawings by children between the ages of two and eight. Kellogg gained global recognition for her groundbreaking studies in children’s art. 

In her books, What Children Scribble and Why (1955), “The Psychology of Children’s Art (1967), and Analyzing Children’s Art (1969), Kellogg explained and documented her theories. She showed that children from all cultures follow a similar graphic evolution in their drawings, starting from scribbles and progressing through certain basic forms. She also believed that children’s art could offer insights into their mental development and educational progress. These theories laid the foundation for the educational program still used at the Hearst Preschool Learning Center today.

Brian Belott is an artist, curator, performer, and publisher based in Brooklyn, NY. He is the lead archivist of the Rhoda Kellogg International Child Art Collection and a lifelong collector of child art. His work was featured in the 2019 Whitney Biennial and is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Museum of American Art.

Jennifer DiGioia is in her thirtieth year as an early childhood educator and advocate. She taught at Phoebe A. Hearst Preschool Learning Center, founded by Rhoda Kellogg, for over a decade. She considers Kellogg’s work to be both the foundation and continual inspiration of her teaching practices.