In previous assignments we had a chance to discover some of the significant art collections in two of San Antonio’s best known art museums, The McNay Art Museum and San Antonio Museum of Art. Now, we have a chance to virtually travel out of our region and country to see some of the world’s best art museums and collections.
Before we get started, there are a few suggestions I have to make this assignment easier and less overwhelming. If you have never had the opportunity to spend time in an art museum, no worries!
Suggestion 1: Don’t feel excluded by what you don’t know. You don’t have to know anything about art to have a look— that’s why you are visiting an art museum! There are all sorts of people and reasons why people visit art museums. Although collecting art has primarily been reserved by a wealthier class of people, APPRECIATING ART is free to anyone who wishes to take the moment to contemplate what a museum has to offer.
Suggestion 2: Scan the virtual collections and see what catches your eye. You do not have to carefully examine all the artworks in the collection. This would be overwhelming!
Suggestion 3: You don’t have to like what you see, BUT…don’t let “I don’t like this” be your first and only statement as you look at art. This work caught your attention for a reason. How can you know if dislike the artwork before you had the chance to let it sink in? With many works of art, your first impression may be, “I hate it”, but the more you know about the work, the more you may change from your first impression. So KEEP an OPEN mind.
Suggestion 4: Let the art pull questions out of you. What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted? What details are visible? Are there details that are hard to see or to understand? What might have been the original purpose or context of this artwork? What does it tell you about the artist or time in history when it was created? What materials were used? How was the artwork composed in terms of the Elements and Principles of art (we have already discussed this in class.)
Suggestion 5: Finally, please remember there is no RIGHT or WRONG way to visit an art museum!
How to complete the Virtual Art Museum Project:
Step 1: Select one (1) art museum from the list found at the bottom of the page
Step 2: Select one (1) of the following essay prompts. You will have 2 options. Allessays must have an introduction paragraph, essay body with supporting images or links as reference for your reader, and a conclusion. Your essay will need to be 500 words or more.
Essay Option 1: View the virtual museums with a family member or friend. You can use zoom if it is easier for you. While looking at works of art can be very personal, sharing your ideas with others can be a great way to deepen your understanding and experience of art. This is also a great way to apply and share what you learned in this class with your family and friends. Write an essay about your experience and conversation with your family or friend while visiting the museums. Describe how your opinions and perspectives were similar or different.
Essay Option 2: Compare and contrast your expectations and perceptions of art museums before your visit. Compare how this experience reinforced or challenged your previous ideas about museums.
International Art Museums Links:
British Museum, London ( https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com )
Guggenheim Museum, New York ( https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/solomon-r-guggenheim-museum-interior-streetview/jAHfbv3JGM2KaQ?hl=en&sv_lng=-73.95902634325634&sv_lat=40.78285751667664&sv_h=10.75703204567916&sv_p=0.06928383072430222&sv_pid=MfnUmHRyOSzMtY3vtYU05g&sv_z=0.9645743015259166 )
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. ( https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc?hl=en )
Musée d’Orsay, Paris ( https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/musee-dorsay-paris?hl=en )
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul ( https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-museum-of-modern-and-contemporary-art-korea?hl=en )
Pergamon Museum, Berlin ( https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/pergamon/m05tcm?hl=en )
Rijksmuesum, Amsterdam ( https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/rijksmuseum/iwH5aYGoPwSf7g?hl=en&sv_lng=4.885283712508563&sv_lat=52.35984312584405&sv_h=291.1699875145569&sv_p=-5.924133903625474&sv_pid=fOVcUXQW2wpRf33iUmxEfg&sv_z=1 )
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam ( https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en )
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles ( https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-j-paul-getty-museum?hl=en )