Assignment: Harvard Art Museum


The renovated Harvard Art Museums combines old and new–both in architecture and the work on display. The museum houses everything from Buddhas thousands of years old to new work by contemporary artists. 

Our assignment at the museum is to:

  1. Partner up! Explore the museum with another student. Visit every exhibit and discuss as you go. Choose a partner you can work well with–remember, you are on assignment! 

Write about your favorite work: 

  1. As you go through the exhibits, take images with your phone of your favorite pieces of art–pieces you would like to discuss/critique/analyze. You need to choose at least six pieces from at least four different exhibits. At least two must be photographs. Don’t forget to write down or take a picture of the  title, artist and date. 
  2.  Create a google doc which you will share with your Mr. Gooder.
  3. For each piece, write one paragraph. Write about why you were drawn to the work. Why does this work inspire or impress you? Is it what it depicts? The emotion it conveys? It’s subtlety or boldness? It’s history? It’s craftsmanship or use of materials?  
  4. Include your image of the work with your paragraph. 
  5. Share your review with your teacher by class time on Monday, December 14th. 

Our goal in going to the museum is to:

  • Be exposed to terrific artwork from around the world
  • Think about and discuss what we see
  • Be inspired in our own work when we return to the classroom
  • Enjoy a well-earned day together as a class to celebrate art

Our essential questions include:

  • How can we apply our critical skills when looking at artwork to work in all media?
  • How do different artists and cultures express themselves visually and through the materials and subjects available to them?
  • How is art work curated (chosen and arranged), and how does this this affects how we ‘read’ artwork? 

Check out the museum before we go: Harvard Art Museum website (Photography students should go to “Collections” and type in “Photography”)

The museum website also features “Hotspots,” which educate visitors about the artworks’ history and context: link to “Hotspots”

Here is a good article on the “new” museum, with a slideshow of images: New York Times Harvard Art Museum