Norman LewisUntitled (Subway Station)
Meet the Museumat the Harn Museum of Art
To provide access to a major regional art museum and introduce a diverse group of young people to careers in museums, the Harn Museum of Art offered programming that included in-class lessons and museum visits for middle and high school students.
Funding Categories
Marketing & Outreach
Supplies
Contract Labor
partner
Harn Museum of Art (University of Florida)
location
Gainesville, FL
About
The Harn Museum of Art’s Meet the Museum offered museum access to middle and high school students and familiarized a diverse group of young people with careers in the museum field. The program began with a previsit video that provided a youth‑centered introduction to the museum and museum professions, preparing students for a meaningful on‑site experience. Students then visited the museum through their fine arts, social studies, English, and world languages courses. To accommodate large class visits and increase engagement, Art Bridges loans were integrated into a tour of the entire museum focused on living in diverse worlds, a theme reflected in the paintings by Childe Hassam, George Morrison, and Norman Lewis. Following the tour, the students received a postcard encouraging a free return visit with their families.
Intended Outcome
The Harn Museum of Art intended to welcome 350 students through its Meet the Museum program and increase visitation by middle and high school students by presenting educator workshops and supporting the direct cost of field trips related to transportation and substitute teachers.
Actual Outcome
The Harn Museum of Art reached about 2,000 students through this new initiative. With the support of Art Bridges, the museum engaged teachers through educator workshops, assisted school groups with costs related to substitute teachers and bus transportation, provided art activity kits for the classroom, and produced a video on museum careers.
Advice Post Project
Museums planning similar programs should prioritize intentional outreach to rural school districts from the outset and build clear evaluation tools to better assess impact and guide future program refinement.
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