A Day at the Museum
By Le Ann Hinkle
I didn’t visit museums growing up. So, I still have that sense of awe when I walk in and see paintings and sculptures, previously only viewed in books or on the internet. My students feel the same way. Recently our fourth graders had an opportunity to visit the Brooklyn Museum, as part of our art curriculum assured experiences. In the fall, my school participated in the “Inside Out Project”. An exhibition of JR’s work at the Brooklyn Museum prompted our visit.
As I prepared students for our museum visit, I appreciated how the exhibits were so thoughtfully curated for all visitors. Museum educators have to provide access to artworks and artifacts for those who have a broad range of knowledge in aesthetics, art history and/or art making. A few years ago, I participated in a project where my third grade students had several pre-visit classes with a museum educator from the Bruce Museum, a regional museum in our neighborhood. I found the strategies the museum educator used to introduce concepts and artwork, directly connected to the students’ activities during visit. She asked students to identify different categories of art and led a discussion incorporating vocabulary, art concepts, and strategies for looking deeper. In the museum, students worked in small groups to select a piece of art. They used the vocabulary and analysis strategies, introduced in the pre-visit lessons, to present the work to their classmates. This experience had a profound impact on how my students interacted with the artwork at the museum; art and artifacts introduced in subsequent classes, and future museum visits.
In partnership with AAMD (Association of Art Museum Directors), NAEA conducted a research study on the impact of museum programs on K-12 students. “The research study summary identified four key areas of significance. “Through facilitated, single-visit museum experiences it was determined that, students ask more complex questions about art. Students are more accepting of multiple interpretations of a work of art. Students are more likely to think about art in terms of a work’s material properties. Students experience greater emotive recall of the program.” This research provides relevant data to support the necessity for students to have facilitated museum visits.
In a recent conversation with a colleague in another state, she mentioned that the museums in her city gave free admission to school groups. However, there was no money for busses or substitutes, so she could not take advantage of the programs offered. How can we express to our communities that students having access to museums is essential to the development of their knowledge and skills?
For more information:
Brooklyn Museum: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/
Bruce Museum: https://brucemuseum.org/
Inside Out The People’s Art Project: http://www.insideoutproject.net/en
NAEA-AAMD Research Study: Impact of Art Museum Programs on K-12 Students
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