Activities

-family center activities, printmaking

-free baby tours- encourage visual literacy in babies

Toddler Time Tours- multi sensory experience with works of art

-free monthly programs to provide meaningful museum visits for people experiencing the early stages of memory loss and their companions.

Guest presentations, Glass programs public demo

Wine tastings

TMA Masters Series -consists of public programs featuring world-renowned artists, scholars, musicians and others who are invited to share their knowledge and talents at the Museum. Held in the grand Peristyle Theater

Art classes and workshops

Family Flashlight tours

Veterans glassblowing event

Gallery Gear- Three new activity kits provide fun ways for parents to talk about artwork with children aged 2–8. Each Gallery Gear tote bag provides hands-on learning experiences inspired by one of three works of art:

• The Architect’s Dream by Thomas Cole (Main Museum)
• Egyptian burial case for Ta-Mit (Main Museum)
• Counterman-Dinerby Emily Brock (Glass Pavilion)

Families take the totes to the galleries where they read books related to the theme of the artwork and explore creatively using various multi-media materials. A parent guide provides suggestions on how to engage children to look at works of art in new ways.

Art Classes, glass art workshops

Scholarships

Reference library

Resources for educators

Teacher professional development

Museum Philosophy

The museum places an importance on visual literacy and community activity.  The museum’s aim is to teach people to learn by seeing.  They are doing this through tours and programs that encourage people to develop a visual understanding. They don’t favor digital learning, but they do seem to allow for some tactile education. They also provide visual language workshops, classes, tours, gallery experiences, hands-on activities, and lectures all focused on visual learning.

They seem to be aiming for families, children, and teachers who want to learn more to ways to encourage visual literacy. They place a great importance on teaching and learning how to look at and comprehend art.

“Our purpose is Art Education.  We teach people to learn to see by engaging with the collections of the Toledo Museum of Art.  Under the umbrella of art history, we engage people with visual culture and methods of seeing including the formal language of art, iconology, ideology, semiotics and hermeneutics.”

Teaching Staff

At the museum they have a director of education, manager of curriculum, docent program manager, family center manager, manager of studio programs, education and engagement coordinator. It seems as though they have a fair amount of people devoted to education. This is evidenced by their many programs focused on ways of encouraging visual literacy in different age groups.

Targeted Age Groups

The types of activities that the museum has hint at the fact that there are many families and children within the community. It’s reflected within the programs that are offered.  The programs expand from baby programs to that of programs catered to those with Alzheimer’s. All are meant to encourage visual learning and foster a sense of community. They are encouraging an atmosphere of learning through classes offered and programs that pay attention to what families find stimulating. Like the flashlight after dark tours. (Something that has largely been popularized due to Night at the Museum).

A BRIEF HISTORY:

“The National Gallery of Art was conceived and given to the people of the United States by Andrew W. Mellon (1855–1937). Mellon was a financier and art collector from Pittsburgh who came to Washington in 1921 to serve as secretary of the treasury. During his years of public service he came to believe that the United States should have a national art museum equal to those of other great nations.”

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY:

“The mission of the National Gallery of Art is to serve the United States of America in a national role by preserving, collecting, exhibiting, and fostering the understanding of works of art at the highest possible museum and scholarly standards.

Policies and procedures toward these goals are cumulatively set forth in the Gallery’s legislation, bylaws, trustee action, and staff guidelines. The following general definitions outline the goals of the Gallery.

1. Preserving
2. Collecting
3. Exhibiting
4. Fostering Understanding
   The Gallery’s role as an institution dedicated to fostering an understanding of works of art operates on a broad spectrum. From advanced research conducted by its curators, conservators, and at its Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts to the dissemination of knowledge to visitors and to the widest possible online audiences, the Gallery seeks to educate. The Gallery reaches out to students of all ages and to the general public through informed publications on its collections and exhibitions and an array of educational programs, films, and online initiatives. It acquires both print and digital publications, photographic images, and other research materials related to its collections and to the history and appreciation of art in general; and it makes these resources available online or by appointment through the library, gallery archives, and curatorial records. The Gallery recognizes that both the dissemination of information and the enhancement of the aesthetic experience are essential to fostering understanding of works of art. Ancillary programs furthering its aesthetic role, such as concerts and changing horticultural displays, have been part of the Gallery’s mission virtually since its inception and have expanded to include outdoor programs in the Sculpture Garden since its opening in 1999.”

EDUCATION STAFF & VOLUNTEERS:

Listing is relatively nonexistent; likely because they are a large institution. Who are they???????

How does this anonymity affect their connection to the community?

WEBSITE OVERVIEW

“Educational and enrichment programs for visitors, both virtual and in person, are central to the mission of the National Gallery of Art.”

The education portion is divided into 6 main categories:

TEACHERS, NGAKIDS, FAMILIES, TEENS, ADULTS & INTERNS & FELLOWS

The following are a highlight of the opportunities based on their 6 categories.

TEACHERS

Free image downloads, lesson plans (preK-University level), information on school tours and programs, professional development and learning resources (able to be borrowed).

Commentary:

-Some grade lesson plans include ELL lesson plans!!

– # of lessons and variety in topics/integration available is greater for higher grades

-Lesson Plans and Learning Resources could be combined…..or let’s just use them as the College/University lesson plans?!

-No quick reference to light box that I could see. Would be useful for high school and college/university professors.

http://images.nga.gov/en/lightbox/show_lightbox_page.html

 NGAKIDS

Interactive art creating opportunities, such as:

https://www.nga.gov/education/kids/kids-seasaws.html

https://www.nga.gov/education/kids/kids-collagemachine.html

No longer available online but available for download or through iPad app as well.

 FAMILIES

“Family Programs at the National Gallery of Art are based on a philosophy of slowing down, focusing on one work of art, developing observation and thinking skills, inspiring curiosity and wonder, and fostering collaboration between children and adults.  Many of the programs are age-specific, while others are designed for a broader age range.”

Art Investigators: Ages 4-7

Free drop-in programs, designed for individual families on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no advance registration. Program includes reading a children’s book, exploring one work of art in the galleries, and completing a simple hands-on activity.

Family Workshops: Ages 8-11

Workshops include a conversation in the galleries followed by a hands-on studio art session. Designed for children and adults to work together.  Workshops are free but preregistration is required. Sessions available on Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays (morning and afternoon times).

Film for Children & Teens: All Ages

 TEENS

Information about Volunteer Programs & Films for Teen (Repeated Feature)

“Student volunteers assist with clerical and administrative tasks that support the department’s education programs. Typical activities include preparing materials for art projects, photocopying, collating, and program cleanup.”

Fall or Spring Semsters

4-8 hrs per week

Uncompensated

 ADULTS

Drawing & Writing Salons (using art as inspiration for creating), Evening at the Edge(live music, theatrical performances & films), Podcasts & Videos, Gallery Talks, Lectures & Book Signings, Guided Tours, Food for thought (seminar luncheon discussion, free but preregistration required), Artist + Artist (Conversations with artists about how objects inspire their practice)

INTERNS & FELLOWS

Graduate Curatorial Internships, Internships in the Museum Profession, Summer Internships, Curatorial Fellowships, Research Assistantships.

Privilege given to graduate students and curatorial, conservation and librarian positions.

ACCESSIBILITY:

Financial Accessibility: Free, money not an issue; highly accessible by public transportation.

Hours are Monday–Saturday 10:00–5:00 and Sunday 11:00–6:00.

?: How is free programming advertised? Is knowing about the opportunities privileged or more open to those who seek out the information themselves?

Linguistic Accessibility:

Tours of permanent collection offered regularly, free of charge in Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Can also be requested in Hebrew, Hungarian, and Portuguese.

Image/Data taken from Ten Years of Language Access in Washington, DC by the Urban Institute (Think Tank focusing on Social and Economic Policy Research)

Physical Accesibility:

Programs for ASL, Low vision/vision impaired, early stage memory loss, and medical professionals. Service Dogs permitted and complimentary wheelchairs available for use.

I did my analysis assignment on the Cleveland Museum of Art because of the technological components (shocker) that they have integrated into their museum which is (in my opinion) a great asset to their educational outreach. Here is the link to their site: http://www.clevelandart.org/  (which is almost is so expansive that I don’t believe I got to every page). I managed to take some screen shots and include some highlights that were relevant to the assignment which you can find HERE. And after searching the depths of their site (and having visited the museum a couple years back) I pulled my thoughts together and offer my analysis HERE. I tend to be long winded and did not want to occupy too much blog space with my ramblings!

The museum that will be discussed in this website analysis for how the museum presents education/interpretation/engagement is the Carnegie Museum of Art located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. All information discussed is from the museum website.

What specific opportunities are available for learners?

There are several opportunities that the museum offers for learners interested in art. The mission statement of the museum is to create experiences that connect people to art, ideas and one another. The specific opportunities available vary depending on the age group. This variation is in part to scale the opportunity to the specific age group and create activities that will interest, but not overwhelm the visitor. For adults the opportunities include tours, lectures and talks, screening of films/musical artist, classes/workshops, late night events/nights at the museum, and yoga. Kids and families have the opportunities to take part in summer camps, use apps, and have studio instruction. Teens have the least opportunity of all visitors and are limited to only workshops.

Schools have their own opportunities that differ from those opportunities listed above. Opportunities include guided tours and workshops. The age group for participants range from elementary school all the way to the collegiate level. Reservations for these tours is easy and available online through the website.

What do these experiences say about the museum’s educational philosophy?

These events show that the education department is aware of the various interests of different visitors and have created programs to maximize interest and attract visitors. The education department has also created events that take place in the museum space without making the artwork the main focus. This shows that the educational philosophy is very adaptive to help create the necessary financial support that the museum needs to continue operating. This also shows that the museum’s educational philosophy is willing to settle on higher education and stepping away from being an exclusive venue in order to attract more visitors.

The experiences also show that the museum has developed a philosophy that allows the museum to capitalize on the success of late nights, and nights at the museum. Many similar programs have developed in the museum world to mimic and capitalize on the success of films like Night at the Museum.

What particular audiences seem to be served through theses programs?

The particular audiences that seem to be served through theses programs appear to be adults almost exclusively. The adults have the most opportunities to participate. The adults also benefit from the opportunities that are available only for kids and teens. These include having summer camps that can help fill kids days when school is not in session and having events and activities at the museum to keep their children engaged and interest in the museum. These activities are also designed to keep kids from running around and distracting other patrons.

How many/what kinds of educators work or volunteer at the museum?

The educators for this museum are a combination of staff employed by the museum and volunteers. The education department is a multi person department. This is based on the fact that they are currently hiring an education program assistant. The museum also has several volunteers who serve as docents. Specific numbers and the education background of the staff and volunteers is not stated on the website. This leads me to the idea that volunteers only need an interest and willingness to be taught the needed skills by the education department to become a docent.

How does this program appear to respond to the particular geography/population/community in which it is situated?

The museum serves a large audience that is not just local residents, but also global audience. The museum boasts about how large of an audience it attracts from all over the world. The museum website does not offer specific plans or contact information for setting up tours or field trips. The website needs to be updated to help encourage more visitors to visit and spread the awareness of the various activates and events that the museum hosts. The museum does understand that a lot of visitors work during the week and that many potential patrons are not willing to pay full admission. The location of the museum is in Oakland, a close walk to the colleges in the area and close to lower income families living in the same area. The museum offers lower “discount” prices for college students and free admission on Sundays for the general public.

Opportunities for Learners

• Tours:
  • Adult guided tours: Conversational, by reservation, primarily intended for groups, paid
  • Second Saturday conversation tours: Conversational + information, drop-in, adults + children, regular admission
  • Audio tours: For teens by teens & artist interviews; check out iPod or download onto your own device
  • Art Beyond Boundaries tours: Tours for the visually impaired; adults + children
  • Discounted group tours (guided or self-guided)
  • Team-building tours: For companies, includes artmaking

• School Programs
  • One-hour school visit: Inquiry-based tour
  • Student art start visit: pre- and post-visit materials, one-hour guided tour, hands-on art-making activity, each student receives guest pass to return with 5 family/friends
  • Outreach
    • Pre-visit materials, educator comes to classroom to teach lesson, free family pass for each student
      • $95-$110 per classroom
    • Teacher trunk program: suitcases can be signed out by schools for 3 weeks; Greek and Egyptian art themes
      • Seems unrelated to contemporary art on view at museum
• Teacher Programs
  • Professional Development Workshops
  • Printable Posters: About the artist, discussion questions, mini lessons, resources
    • Printable Poster: Mickalene Thomas
• Family Programs
  • Family Fests: Art-making, scavenger hunt, refreshments
  • Family Nights: Art-making, scavenger hunt, performance, cash bar for adults, 3 times a year
  • Pre-K Art Days: Inquiry-based tour, literacy, movement, art-making, once a month
• Teen Programs
  • Teen apprenticeship program: Apply to participate; 10-15 teens accepted; 12-week program to work with artists and museum professionals
  • Teen Takeover Night
  • Teen Takeover Planning Committee: Plans and executes Teen Takeover Night
• Scout Program
  • MOCA Explorer Patch: Receive a bag from the front desk and it explains what to do to receive patch
  • Visual Arts Badge Workshops: Workshops to receive badges
• Studio School
  • Adult Classes: Drawing & Mixed Media, Painting, Ceramics, Photography & Digital Media; weekly classes, one-day workshops, master classes
  • Teen Classes: 3D Animation, Drawing
  • Children Classes: Divided by age, rather than theme: ages 2-5, ages 6-12, family workshops
  • Art Camp: Ages 2-5, 6-8, 9-12, 13-17; half-day classes

• ARTLab
  • “Interactive space for all ages”
  • Includes hands-on activities connected to another exhibition on view.
  • Doesn’t include art itself, so slightly disconnected from the exhibitions. Why can’t they have these interactives in the main galleries?

• Fleming Gallery
  • Each year, displays artwork by over 1,000 regional artists, educators, and art students.
  • Holds partnerships with the City of Virginia Beach Schools, Skillquest (support program for adults with disabilities), and other local arts organizations.

Educational Philosophy

• More than most other institutions that I have come across, curatorial and education, exhibitions and engagement intertwine. From the top-down and bottom-up, education surfaces in the exhibitions and the exhibitions surface in the education, to the point that they cannot be separated. Intrinsic to this appears to be the staffing structure, the combined department aptly called “Combined Education and Exhibitions Department.”
• Education is central to Virginia MOCA’s mission: “The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art is a non-profit institution which exists to foster awareness, exploration, and understanding of the significant art of our time. Through excellence and diversity in our changing exhibitions and educational programming, MOCA stimulates critical thinking and dialogue throughout the Hampton Roads community.”

• In last year’s annual report, they listed every staff member from the Executive Director to part-time Security to every single Gallery Teacher, Studio Instructor, and Art Camp Instructor. This evidences the equitable staffing structure and the value of each and every member of the staff. See Annual Report Staffing.
• Even parts of their website that are not explicitly education reveal the dedication to education and the visitors:

Exhibitions:

Exhibition Proposals:

Support:

• Of the 7 primary Membership benefits, 5 of them emphasize education:
  • FREE year-round museum admission
  • FREE admission / discounts to select openings, programs, and events
  • $15 off art classes and camps $50 and over
  • $5 off art classes $50 or less
  • Pre-registration art classes and camps
  • Discounts in MOCA’s museum shop
  • Invitation to “members only” activities
• Donors receive the same tour that the school groups receive – to actually “see what you support while exploring the exhibitions and creating art with childlike wonder!”

Audiences

• Schools
• Teachers
• Families
• Art classes for children:
  • Ages 2-5
  • 5-12
  • Teens
  • Homeschool groups
• Teens

• Girl Scouts
• Adults
• Adults and children with disabilities
• Companies
• Community
• Local artists
• Middle to upper class: Studio classes are quite expensive and no scholarships seem to be offered (at least apparent online), so you would need to have expendable income. For example, the Saturday in the Studio classes are $120/members or $135/non-members for 7 weeks (2.5 hours/week).
• Mixed class: The half-day camps are much more affordable at $100/members or $115/non-members. They also have scholarships available based on household income and the child’s interest. They ask the students to write or draw why they want to take an art class at Virginia MOCA.

Educators

• Within the Combined Education and Exhibitions Department, they have 9 staff listed on their website (presumably full-time). Of those positions, 6 are explicitly education. The staff positions are as follows:
  • Alison Byrne, Director of Exhibitions & Education
  • Monee Marie Bengtson, Registrar & Preparator
  • Lea Bennett, Outreach Coordinator
  • Rebecca Davidson, Manager of School & Educator Programs
  • Heather Hakimzadeh, Curator
  • Eliot Hicks, Assistant Preparator
  • Katie Kaltenbach, Outreach Educator
  • Truly Matthews, Curator of Education
  • Jade O’Day, Gallery Assistant
• They have 13 Studio School Instructors – each one has a full bio (one of them overlaps with the full-time staff, the Outreach Coordinator)
• All tours say they are led by a MOCA Gallery Teachers (or sometimes an educator). The choice of using “gallery teacher” is interesting because I was surprised to learn that these are still volunteers.
  • Gallery teachers are hired 3 times a year and training consists of four 2-hour sessions.
  • No prior art or education experience required.
• Teen Volunteers assist with summer art camp classes, researching and recording teen audio tours, and planning Teen Takeover Nights.
• They offer unpaid internships in multiple departments and you can volunteer for their Boardwalk Art Show, Special Events, and Exhibitions Support.

Why here?

• Much of their programming is intended for the Hampton Roads community, which is the larger metropolitan area in which Virginia Beach is located. Hampton Roads has a large military presence and they do have programming specifically for military families/veterans.
• Almost all of their “Meet MOCA” video focuses on education and the community, demonstrating the community’s willingness/desire to participate in MOCA’s programming. Everything is about the public.
  • MOCA considers its four primary activities to be: gallery exhibitions, studio art classes, educational outreach programs and outdoor art shows, with the intention of “involv[ing] a diverse regional public in the rich and active language of contemporary visual art.”
• Annual juried exhibition of Virginia artists – emphasis on displaying the work local/regional artists.
• Fleming Gallery demonstrates Virginia MOCA’s valuing of the community, school, and local artist partnerships. The current exhibition, Hampton Roads Historium, displays puppets fabricated by local high school students.

• Other annual exhibitions, all dedicated to the community, in this gallery space include:

• • • Prisms – celebrating artwork created in MOCA’s Summer Art Camp
    • SkillQuest – celebrating artwork created by the SkillQuest program
    • Youth Art Month – exhibiting artwork by every art student in the City of Virginia Beach
    • Salem Visual Arts Academy Annual Juried Exhibition
    • Teaching Artists Art Exhibition – celebrating local art educators
    • A Year in Review – highlights from MOCA Studio School Instructors and Students
    • Hampton Roads Student Gallery Honorees

• School tours: “Focusing on a selection of works to develop observation and critical-thinking skills, discussions support learning standards and inquiry-based learning.”
  • For each tour, they mention the connections to Virginia learning standards, but also museum education theories.