Museum Gallery Activities

Sharon Vatsky, Director of School and Family Programs at the Solomon. R. Guggenheim Museum oversees programs for youth, families and teachers. She brings her experience as a lifelong arts educator, museum educator and artist to considering the role of multi-modal explorations in responding to works of art. She has conducted workshops for teachers and museum educators at universities and art museums in the US and internationally and taught graduate level courses in Museum Education at the City University of New York and Teachers College, Columbia University as well as undergraduate courses in drawing, painting, design and art history and arts education. Prior to joining the Guggenheim in 2000, she was Curator of Education at the Queens Museum in New York for more than a decade.

This book is a tried-and-true toolbox—a companion for any educator who knows, or is curious about, the benefits of active, participatory teaching and learning. Vatsky makes a convincing case for why learners (and educators) should shift from being viewers to doers, and provides us with a treasury of practical activities that expand the interpretive possibilities of art. An essential guide for anyone who wants to make art—or just about any subject—more accessible and relevant.

• DedicationList of IllustrationsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart 1Chapter 1Who This Book Written ForChapter 2Where Gallery Activities Fit in Planning a TourChapter 3How Gallery Activities Support Learning and Connections with Works of Art Chapter 4 Guidelines for Creating Successful Gallery Activities Part IIChapter 5Writing Activities Chapter 6 Drawing ActivitiesChapter 7Touch Objects and Props Chapter 8 Collage, Sculpture and Manipulatives Chapter 9Drama and Movement ActivitiesChapter 10 Sound and Music ActivitiesChapter 11 Discursive Activities Chapter 12Digital Media ActivitiesChapter 13 One Work - One Activity AppendixLesson Plan Template List of ArtworksBibliography About the AuthorIndex