How to Take Your Homeschool Group to an Art Museum
Visiting an art museum with your homeschool group is an excellent way to expose your students to the world of art. With a bit of planning and preparation, you and your group can have a wonderful experience, and in this post, I’m sharing tips and things to keep in mind when planning your museum visit.
What are the benefits of visiting an art museum with your homeschool group?
Four years ago, I was in the throes of planning our coming school year, and part of that included determining which artists our homeschool co-op would be learning about for picture study. Our preference was to work within specific time periods, but I also liked to check our local art museum website to see which exhibitions were coming. When I saw that an enormous show featuring the work of Claude Monet was scheduled for later that year, we agreed unanimously that he would be in our plans. I also made sure that at least one of the pieces we would be seeing at the exhibition was included in our picture study time.
In the first term, we studied the paintings of Claude Monet and got to know him a little better as an artist. When we went to the exhibition in January, getting to see the pieces in person was a great experience for all of us, moms and students together. Each student having their own art prints to look at during our picture study time is a wonderful thing. Still, nothing compares to actually being able to see the piece itself with the artist’s brush strokes and the true colors that sometimes don’t come out in reproductions.
Some of the students also chose to listen to the self-guided tour, which gave them more information about Monet himself and other pieces we didn’t learn about in our co-op. This was a small speaker (like a phone) with an audio player they received before we entered the exhibition, and certain paintings were associated by numbers with different tracks on the device so they could listen to the recording while viewing the piece.
Overall, it was an excellent way to follow up our term of studying him in-depth!
How do you get tickets for your homeschool group to visit an art museum?
Most museums offer discounted rates for groups, and some even offer free tickets to children under a certain age (in fact, right now, the Denver Art Museum has free admission for all visitors under 18!). Look on your museum’s website to see if they offer group rates or discounts specifically for school groups. If it’s necessary to contact them to get the group rates, make sure you get in touch with them well in advance of your planned visit date. You may need to submit a form giving details about your group, and they will respond with the special rates. If there is a temporary exhibition going on that you’d like to see, that may be an additional cost, though sometimes buying tickets for that alone will include admittance to the permanent installations of the museum.
They may also offer you the option of having a docent lead your tour, and this can be a fun way to learn more about the art as well as give your students a chance to ask questions. However, Charlotte Mason friends, keep in mind that docent-led tours may be more “talky talky” than what your students are used to.
If you feel comfortable with the idea of guiding the group yourself, many museums offer resources on their website for you to read about their collections or specific artists or pieces that are on display. You can read these resources beforehand to be ready for any questions your students might have but don’t feel that it’s necessary to volunteer everything you’ve read as it is often better for the students to view the art without any kind of commentary.
Some museums also offer field trips created explicitly for certain age groups that include interactive activities. Keep in mind that the museum may include controversial topics that are discussed in these activities, and they may not necessarily align with your family’s values. If you choose to do one of these field trips, make sure you have a good understanding of the topics that will be covered.
What to do When you Arrive at the Museum
In some cases, when you buy your tickets or contact the museum about your group, you will get special instructions for where to meet for check-in so you don’t have to go through the ticket line. If you have a docent assigned to your group, they will generally meet you at the entrance and lead you to your destination in the museum. If you have to wear stickers or some other indication that you’ve paid, make sure all of your students have those in prominent places.
Some museums do not allow large bags to be brought in and may have lockers where you can stash your belongings while viewing the galleries. Most museums are also very strict about not allowing food or drink inside. It’s a good idea to leave any backpacks and lunches in your vehicle and plan lunch around needing to leave the building.
What to do While You’re in the Museum
The most important thing to do is enjoy your time! Try not to rush your students and allow them to take in each work of art at their own pace. I also recommend not guiding them through any details of a particular piece or pointing anything out until they’ve had a chance to really look at them themselves. You could also ask them what they see in a painting or sculpture, and their observations may surprise you!
If you know for certain that a piece you’ve studied in your homeschool is in the museum, make sure it’s on view ahead of time by either calling or emailing the museum to ask, or if you search their collections on their website, usually it will say if that object is on display or view and where it is. (In some museums, you may also be able to contact them if your specific piece isn’t on view and arrange a special time to see it in their archive area.) Make it a point to see that piece if it’s on display and any others by that artist. Most museums have collections that are grouped by time period, so it should be relatively easy to see all the art by that artist in one area.
Be mindful of noise levels, and try not to disturb your fellow museum-goers with loud talk or noises. If your students bring their art materials and would like to try sketching or painting a piece, make sure they are far enough away from it to not block the view for other people. Also, do not allow them to touch the pieces. In some cases, a rope is set up, or a line is painted on the floor in front of paintings, which means you can not go beyond that to get closer.
Most museums allow non-flash photography in their permanent collection areas, however, temporary exhibitions or special installations may not. Generally, there are signs on doors or walls near these special places that will announce if photography is prohibited.
If you have questions about a piece, there may be docents in the vicinity specifically for that purpose, or you can go to the information desk (usually near or at the ticket counter) to ask there as well.
One more thing to keep in mind is the topic of nudity. Different families feel different ways about this, but I wanted to draw attention to it as it’s something to keep in mind. Going into the museum, know that your students will most likely see nudity in the paintings or sculptures, and it’s a good idea to address that according to your family’s values before you enter the museum if necessary.
If you have a chance this coming school year to visit your local art museum, I highly recommend it, especially if their permanent collection or a temporary exhibition includes an artist you’ll be studying!
