photo: museummoms.com
When visiting a museum with your class there are some essential things to discuss. The do's and don'ts list seems pretty intuitive, but once you read through this list you'll probably discover some simple tips that you'll be glad to have considered sooner rather than later! For example, visiting a museum prompts a lot of thoughts. Not all of them should be shared. Keep on reading to know what's okay and what's not okay during you big visit to the exhibit.
Teacher
Preparation Guide for Visiting an Art Exhibit
According
to Healey (2012), teachers can help to create more effective learning
experiences at the museum for students when they:
·
have
visited the museum independently prior to bringing the students and have seen
the content of the exhibition(s)
·
know
about the museums facilities, such as where to check-in when the group arrives,
the best spots for lunch, and of course the toilets
·
have
briefed accompanying teachers and chaperones about museum behavior protocols
and have the capacity to manage their allocated student group
·
understand
that artworks are precious and fragile so students must behave in a respectful
manner and teachers model these behaviors
·
understand
that the museum is a shared space with other visitors and everyone is mindful
of this
·
know
that we don’t mind if a visit is at the beginning or end of a unit of study.
·
understand
and communicate that artistic expression can sometimes challenge societal and
political norms, challenging traditional ways of thinking.
Gallery
Visit Management Statement
Students and chaperones are welcome to attend the gallery exhibit
during the public hours of operation posted. Photography of any kind is not
permitted during any point of the gallery visit. It is good practice to observe the following
gallery etiquette and established protocols for social behavior to maintain a shared
zone that is comfortable for everyone:
· when
teachers have prepared students by telling them what to expect and what is
expected of them.
· when
students know that their bags (and mobile phones) will be checked-in and that all
containers, including water bottles, will not be permitted inside of the
gallery.
· everyone
knows that teachers and chaperones must supervise students at all times.
· knows
to keep conversation light, speaking quietly or not at all, in order not to
intrude your thoughts about the art on someone else’s experience.
· when
teachers trust the docent’s ability to encourage deep, rich, sophisticated
conversations about artwork that requires a moment of silence so that students
can have time to look and think to form considered responses.
· knows
that worksheets are designed for after the gallery visit if a docent is leading the tour. If the tour is audio, or
self-paced, a worksheet may be acceptable as long as the pencil being used is
permitted by the gallery.
· understands
that when a word is unfamiliar be certain to listen for context clues and wait
until the end of the tour for specific questions if content or vocabulary is
still unclear.
· looks
closely and thinks deeply about what they are looking at, and know that
thinking about which questions to ask is more important that being told the
answers.
At a
gallery show opening reception:
• Refrain
from asking the price of a piece of work, especially if the artist is present. The
artist’s representative will explain details to the serious buyer at a
scheduled appointment.
• It
is impolite to ask any questions related to the price of artwork, if anything
has sold, and how much an artist earns in a year.
• Never
ask the monetary value of a work of art.
(Healey, 2012)
References
Healey, C. (2012). A Manifesto
for Schools Visiting Art Museums
Retrieved
from
http://artmuseumteaching.com/2012/09/21/a-manifesto-for-schools-visiting-art-museums/
Levin, G.R. (1999).Art Education as Cultural Practice. Art Journal, 58(1), 16
Tom Anderson,
Melody K. Milbrandt, 2005, para. Chapter 1: Art for Life:
Conceptual
and Cultural Foundations: The Purpose of Art for Life).
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