Museums have a variety of programs beyond exhibitions of classical sculpture and art.
Museums offer regular gallery tours in conjunction with their exhibitions as well as educational programs created for children, teens or adults. Events in museums can also be more specialized and sometimes include poetry readings, concerts or performances. Some even screen films related to their shows or host panel discussions around cultural themes designed to give visitors a deeper understanding of the art around them. All museums post event calendars online featuring a range of activities and entertainment.
Educational Programs
The Brooklyn Museum organizes Free Teen Night, which combines a series of activities created by and for teenagers, based around the theme of one art exhibition. It is not a regularly scheduled event but the museum's website has all their upcoming listings. In Washington D.C, the National Gallery of Art hosts Teen Studio Saturdays five times a year and each includes open studio time and gallery tours and lectures. The Family Sunday program at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco offers a tour and other activities for families with children aged 4 to 11. On specified Sundays, museum docents create an interactive program for families to make art together, see the galleries and attend a special presentation about the works.
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238-6099
718-638-5000
brooklynmuseum.org
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 3rd Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-357-4000
sfmoma.org
Performances
Many exhibitions of current art involve performances at regular intervals, created by artists. In addition to these works inside galleries, museums may also invite theater or dances groups to perform on site. In Chicago, the Art Institute invited a street dance group to perform in the modern wing of the museum during June 2010. The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. arranges a series of free jazz concerts each Friday in the summer called Jazz in the Garden. The music ranges from swing to Latino jazz and picnic baskets are on sale for the evenings. The Brooklyn Museum has an evening of music, food, and art from 5 to 11 p.m. on the first Saturday on the month, called the Target First Saturdays program.
National Gallery of Art
401 Constitution Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20565
202-737-4215
nga.gov
Tours and Lectures
Gallery tour schedules vary, but are free at most museums. The Brooklyn Museum in New York offers free daily tours on weekdays and two to three afternoon tours on the weekends. Taking a tour is a way to get an inside view on a show from a member of the museum's faculty and see the art at a slower pace. The Art Institute of Chicago also offers daily gallery talks focused on a specific part of their collection such as the modern wing of the museum or Ancient Mediterranean art. Lectures at the Art Institute show details about works in the museum through slide presentations or panel discussions with museum staff and guest scholars.
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603
312-443-3600
artic.edu
