Going to the VMFA and analyzing the art with “I see” and “I wonder” was a unique experience. I am a 7 second window shopper with it comes to most historical art. My art appreciation is geared towards science museums and photography exhibits. Looking at the art as we’ve been taught definitely made me think and wonder about the objects. I am still wondering if the statue of the man was made out of one piece of stone and what caused the marbling effect on that stone. It amazes me the ancient civilizations had the ability to make such intricate art the stood the test of time.
I wonder how a young class would receive the virtual tour. I had a difficult time answer the questions because I wasn’t really sure what was being asked. Personally, I became a little disinterested about halfway through. It was so much more engaging to see the actual pieces that we were observing.
I wonder how effective it would be to have the students create there own art representative of the time period/culture being studies. I would be good prep work before visiting a museum. There would have the added bonus of having the artist present to explain their creation and purpose and answer questions after the class is finished interpreting the piece.
Are there any programs that would bring relatively inexpensive replications of historical art into the classroom?
Hi Jennifer, It might be a good idea to blend the virtual meeting and the face-to-face field trip meeting. Preparing students ahead of time by bringing “Maggie” into your classroom to show them the pieces they will see and tell them a bit about the pieces would be a valuable front-loading activity. It will also help students be more interested in the art when they get to the museum. Allowing students to create their own art after the field trip would provide an opportunity to apply their knowledge in a creative way.