How to write a museum visit paper

Museum Visit Journal Adapted from arthistoryteachingresources.org

This is your chance to write a short paper (3-4 pages or 750-1,000 words) on a visit

to a museum of your choice. Once you are there, you will choose one art object to be the focus of your journal entry. Your object can be from any cultural period, not just one that we are discussing in class.

Take these instructions and your “How do we talk about art?” handout with you on your visit. Use these questions in any order when looking at the collection. If you’re able to write a few notes near each question or record your thoughts on a device while you’re at the museum, you’ll have the beginnings of your journal entry ready to work on at home.

Your journal will be graded on the quality of your “close looking,” on what you see at the museum, and how you contextualize your object though your own observations. 1) Your Museum Experience

 Start observing closely from the moment you see the museum as you walk up to it

from the street. How does the museum or gallery building relate to its surroundings?

Is it similar, different, larger or smaller than the urban fabric around it? How is the

exterior marked or decorated?

 What is the entrance lobby to the museum like? How does it shape the beginning of

your visit? Who else is there? What is the general atmosphere?

 After walking through several galleries, can you tell how the art is organized? How are

the 3D and 2D art works displayed? Are objects grouped by date, theme or artist?

 How would you describe the environment? Think about wall color, lighting, interior

arrangement and circulation flow.

2) First Impressions: After exploring the exhibits, find an object that attracts you in

some way.

 What do you see? This is an important question to ask yourself before you read the

object label. Your first impressions might change once you have read about the work,

and the connections or changes you make between your initial impressions and later

conclusions can form an interesting part of your journal entry.

3) Form: After selecting an artwork, consider how the elements and principles of

design were used by the artist.

 What design decisions did the artist make to create this work? For instance, how big is

the work? How does the size affect your reaction to the work?

 What do you think is the material of the work? What are the textures and the quality

of the surface of the work? Use adjectives in your analysis, such as shiny or dull, hard

or flexible, rough or smooth.

 How does the artist use line, color, light and shadow? What about the composition? Is

it balanced, asymmetrical, unified or dynamic?

4) Context of the Art Work

 Hopefully your object has a label. Look for the artist’s name, the materials used in

creating the work, and when and where the piece was made.

 Identify the subject matter, as best you can. Describe all of the components depicted.

Is this artwork expressing an idea or telling a story? If so, what is it?

 Is the subject, as best as you can discern, based on an idea, concept or emotion? Do

you think that this art object has religious or political meaning, either to the artist or

to the audience?

 What do you think the artist was trying to say about his or her subject?

 Is this work popular? Do other people stop and look at it? What are some of the

reactions you overhear?

5) Context of the Art Work in the Gallery

 Look again at where this work is exhibited. Note what other works are near it and

decide if your chosen work relates to its surroundings. Why do you think the curator

placed the object where it is?

 Does this gallery have a theme? A unifying idea or rationale for the group of artworks

displayed?

 Because you have looked closely at your art work, do other objects in the gallery now

seem more appealing or interesting? Is there any connection between the them?

 Can you discern groupings of artworks in the exhibit space?

Writing the Paper Take your notes, assimilate them, and then write about your experience in a strong and clear voice. Your journal entry should include 1) an image of your object, 2) an image of the exterior of the museum, preferably a selfie, and 3) your 700-to-1000-word paper that is saved in a 12- point font and double-spaced.