Many people don’t quite understand the point of going to art galleries, especially in an educational context. Galleries are often seen as dreary, hard to understand, and a waste of precious learning time. And while some people wouldn’t hesitate to visit the gallery themselves, they wouldn’t bring their children along with them. There’s no shortage of art galleries around, you just have to know where to find them. For those who don’t believe we should be using museums as a teaching tool, or for those who are on the fence, here are 5 Benefits of Visiting Art Galleries for Learning:
1) Art galleries can provide students with a community
Many students often don’t have the chance to be creative, so experiencing art galleries may open them up to communities they didn’t know existed or weren’t aware they could be a part of. Often children are denied the opportunity to be creative at home. Some parents don’t see any worth in letting children explore this side of themselves when jobs in creative fields are often disregarded as less financially rewarding.
Taking students to art galleries will help them engage with people in the arts community, and let them see the value of creative work.
It will also give them an opportunity to get involved and explore their own creativity, which is something that many don’t get the chance to do.
2) Many galleries have resources and programs for educational groups
If you’re planning an educational visit, many art galleries can provide you with tours, pamphlets, and teaching services to help students get the most out of the gallery. This is a direct way to get involved with arts communities, ask questions, and learn about art from experts who have a deep understanding of the topic.
3) Students will get to experience art outside of their screens
In a world where children spend over six hours a day glued to a screen, the importance of taking children to museums is pretty obvious. When children are learning with digitally oriented curriculums, there is something really special about showing them textile artworks.
Galleries give students the opportunity to explore the textures of paintings up close, the drapery dangling off marble statues, and the scale of a large canvas. This puts art in a completely different perspective to viewing it on a phone or a laptop.
Learning about art in the flesh within the context of a gallery is why we visit museums, rather than looking at art on Instagram.
4) Students will get inspired
Art provides inspiration for children and for adults. Plenty of artists, musicians, and creatives have sourced inspiration from museums and galleries.
Many galleries have interactive zones where students can create and learn from the environment around them. They can do this in a space where creativity is valued, without the outside distractions of the real world.
5) Art changes how we see to word
Often people complain about children not being taught life skills in schools. Art boosts the emotional intelligence of people who experience it, giving them experiences of empathy and exposing them to new worldviews and ideas. These are some of the key skills people use to function in society. Even if your child doesn’t aspire to be an artist or work in the art world, visiting art galleries can be hugely beneficial for their personal development.
Not only will it help them develop personally, but it will also give them a greater sense of the historical identity they hold, as well as the identities of others. Seeing art made by your own culture, and the cultures of others, can really help contextualise your place in the world, what ideologies were held in the past, and how the human experience has changed.
Even if a piece of art isn’t interesting or relatable to you, it can give you insights into other times and yourself. Why isn’t the work relatable to you? What experiences did the artist have that you don’t resonate with? What does that say about the world they live in versus the world you live in? All of these things help build a strong sense of historical and personal identity.
These are just some of the enormous benefits of visiting an art gallery for educational purposes. The value of galleries is definitely not limited to this list, so grab your students and go visit one!
Author: Sim K
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