Museums in the community – we need them and they need us
Topic: Museums
Read:
• Museums in the community – we need them and they need us
https://museumquestions.com/2013/11/07/why-should-schools-visit-museums/
• The role of museums in society
http://www.george-hein.com/downloads/roleMuseumsSocietyForum.pdf
• Handout 2 – Protecting Peace Through History and Museums
Watch:
• TedTalk: Seeing the Past as Present: Why Museums Matter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SehKVHo601c
• What Work of Art Inspired You?
• TedTalk: Reconsidering the Art Museum in the 21st Century
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTdZn78u6pI
Research:
Look up 4 artworks in American museums or by American artists (in a museum anywhere in the world). One great way to do this is by choosing a museum and taking a virtual tour (many American museums have these available on their websites). Another way to do this is to look up more famed pieces of art that you know about and like and see what pieces by the same artist are in American museums. A third option is to look up an artist whose work you admire and then to search for their work in an American museum. You can start with this list of American artists as well – http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/American-arti…
Essay 3 Prompts: Museums play an important role in communities as the protectors of history and culture, and as places where citizens can take in history and culture. Often, the greatest connection in a museum experience is with a particular piece of art – the image within a frame or a sculpture. For this essay I want you to think about what you read and watched, and also about the artworks that you researched. Answer the following – what drew you to choose the artworks that you did in your research? How do you feel connected to these artworks? Are you drawn to them because of how they look, how they make you feel, the subject matter? In your upcoming speeches you will have the opportunity to talk about one of these pieces with more depth, but here I would like you to talk about the artworks that you chose, and why as a society we need museums.
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT
