Why should I bring my class to the museum?

With approximately 1000 works of art on display, and 11,000 total in the collection, the Ball State University Museum of Art provides a rich resource that can enhance a variety of subjects. Because of the collection's breadth – with a concentration on European and American art, and representations of most major world cultures – the museum can provide a variety of tours for school and university classes. Over the past several years, university classes in architecture, art, classics, education, English, foreign languages, history, humanities, math, music, speech and theater, and area school students studying language arts, social studies, science and art have visited the museum for tours.

A typical museum visit provides students with an in-depth analytical discussion inspired by works of art in the collection. Using a teaching technique designed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, museum staff and trained student volunteers lead discussions using the topic of your class as a catalyst. Designed for beginner and novice viewers, discussions center around what can be discerned in the work of art and how it illuminates the class topic. The technique also enhances analytical and critical thinking skills.

Students in 100-level English classes participate in discussions that seek to describe the narrative content of a series of paintings. Later, students return to select a work and write about it, using some of the techniques from the discussion.

A World Literature class visits the museum to study objects from Nigeria while reading a novel by a Nigerian author.

Math 125 classes participate in museum sessions during which they study and discuss how mathematical principles inform the composition of works of art.

Western Civilization classes study how artistic production expressed the ideals and aspirations of Europeans and Americans at various times throughout their history.

Students working on units on Native Americans view and discuss works in the museum’s Native American collection. A related teacher’s packet with classroom activities is available on this web site. Educational Resources

The museum’s landscape paintings are the focus for classes completing units on the weather, bodies of water, and American geography. Materials for the classroom, America in Art: Landscape Painting in the Ball State University Museum of Art, including classroom activities and images, are available on this web site. Educational Resources 

High school students in family and consumer sciences view and discuss table ware from the 18th and 19th centuries; others discuss changes in fashions over time while viewing the museum’s portraits. High school foreign language and culture students in French, Latin and Japanese examine works of art from related countries.

For information about arranging tours click here.

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