Mini Art Museums Teach Art History Through Play
Want a fun way to learn art history and museum curating? Build a mini art museum. When my husband saw me spending hours and dollars working on my mini (not so mini considering it’s 4 feet tall!) art museum to bring to my classes and workshops, he was skeptical. It wasn’t just him. Many visitors to my studio, even kids, didn’t seem to know what to do with it. Many just glanced at it briefly. That is until my friend Diane Hope told me the mini art museum needed to be more interactive. (Duh.) Why didn’t I think of that?!
Interactive Dollhouse for Young Art Curators & Historians
As I was doing research on dollhouses, I learned that many dollhouses were used to teach wealthy children how to run a household. When I read the National Visual Art Standards include learning about museums, displaying art, and curating exhibits, I knew that was my queue to add a new hobby! My younger students just move the artworks around and play, but older students have created mini art displays of their own with sculptures and artworks. One of the really fun things about having a mini art museum is that we can “collect” artworks from the Louvre, from The Met, from the Art Institute of Chicago, from local artists in the community, from student artists, and artists from all over the world. It’s a fun way to teach art museum curating and art history through play.
How to Present the Interactive Art Museum to Middle & High Schoolers
Bring the empty museum to the class. Ask “Who thinks this is a dollhouse?” Then, hold up some mini artworks and ask “Who thinks this is a mini art museum?” Ask who knows what a curator is, explain if they don’t know, and tell them how to use the museum. Also, explain the rules below. You want to use this museum again, right?
Mini Art Museum Rules
- Just like in a real museum: No touching the art. Move the artworks gently by the frame. Real curators handle the artworks and artifacts with care.
- Be gentle with the lighting. It’s on with magnets so be careful not to hit the lights when playing or moving artworks.
- “Walk” your dolls/artists through the museum. You wouldn’t run or play rough in a real museum, right?
Do You Want to Make a Mini Art Museum?
Check out my tips for making your own mini art museum here.
Visit My Mini Art Museum or Book a Unique Art Workshop
My studio is located in Aurora, IL and has periodical openings. Check the events page or contact me for an appointment. Book a mini art museum curator art workshop or class. Students will can make a mini art museum paper diorama and get a turn to “curate” in the mini art museum.