Introduction
This project was envisioned to help teachers get the most out of a visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art with their high school classes. Activities have been categorized as Pre-Museum, At the Museum, and Post-Museum. A museum visit is a great educational experience and students should feel free to explore; however, realistically, more time is often spent in the gift shop and cafe than on the actual works on display. While group tours can be scheduled, very often all students cannot "see" or "hear" the guide and/or are looking to be distracted.
The following activities should force students to stay on task and allow for more flexibility than a group tour. They can be accomplished in partners, small groups, or as independent study. Many of the activities (especially Post-Museum) would be appropriate for interdisciplinary teamwork with an English teacher.
If a visit to the Museum is impossible, I have attempted to bring the Metropolitan's Renaissance collection to you through a list of slides available and relevant to most high school classes. Some of the works are available in posters and reproductions in various sizes, however, these can be much more costly than the slides which are $2.50 each. If a museum visit is possible, group tours must be scheduled whether you are requesting a guide or not. For days and times available, call (212) 288-7733. Admission includes the Main Building and The Cloisters (the Museum's branch for medieval art located in Fort Tryon Park) on the same day. I have taken my students on the guided tour of the Cloisters which is very interesting and informative then to the Metropolitan Main Building in the afternoon. The Cloisters provides a nice contrast to the Renaissance art students explore later that same day. For information on The Cloisters, call (202) 923-3700.
In addition, for those in or near the New York City area, I have included a guide to Renaissance art at The Frick Collection. Works are displayed at the former home of Henry Clay Frick located at 1 East 70th Street. The mansion is architecturally magnificent and a wonderful setting for these priceless works of art. Free audio tours are available with admission ($5 students, $7 adults). Information is accessed by entering the two or three digit code next to the work. Students learn about the artist, time period, techniques used, why the work was created, and so on. The beauty of this program is that students do not have to follow any particular order and can repeat or stop the audio tour just by pushing a button. Unfortunately, The Frick does not have slides available; however, there are some postcards and reproductions of the works in the gift shop. For more information on hours and scheduling groups, call (212) 288-0700.
As a world history teacher, I am constantly infusing art into the historical periods covered. My goal is to encourage students to understand the culture and values of a society as depicted in the works of art. It is also my firm belief that art history is one aspect of education that will stay with students for a lifetime--as they go on vacation with their parents, travel abroad, and perhaps eventually try to teach their own children.
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