As an academic art museum, the David Owsley Museum of Art centers engagement and education. School groups, homeschool groups, community groups, and college classes all come to DOMA to make use of museum resources. See our VISIT page for more information about supported learning opportunities at DOMA.
Teaching with Art
Faculty, museum staff, and educators use distinct models for teaching with art—often two or three are combined in a single teaching moment.
- Visual Literacy—Learning how to look actively and critically enhances understanding and prepares students to better navigate the complex visual environment of the 21st century.
- Art as Cultural Context—Works of art can provide broader cultural context for a particular period or a specific locale. By introducing students to visual culture as part of a social and historical moment, this approach further aids understanding of course material.
- Art as Conceptual Framework—Works of art can illustrate, expand on, reinforce, or test the understanding of ideas and conceptual frameworks encountered in class. This model often supports cross-disciplinary learning.
- Art as Primary Text—Using art as a primary text introduces students to the concept of art as a cultural document.
- Art as Creative Focal Point—Works of art can serve as a creative focal point or inspiration for class assignments such as research papers, visual analysis exercises, creative writing, musical compositions, student presentations, blog posts, or oral language exams. Download our writing guide (PDF).
- Art Museum Pedagogy—Professors and students have a forum for learning museum teaching strategies, developing their teaching practice, and analyzing them for effectiveness.
- Museum as Specimen—The entire Museum of Art is conceptualized into an object to enable students to analyze its theoretical and practical implications.
Thanks to the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College for its guidance in developing these models for using art museums and their collections as a learning resource.
SMART at DOMA
The SMART program is a special 5th grade tour of the David Owsley Museum of Art. School Museum Art Readiness Tours emphasize discovery, information discovery, and belonging in art museums with optional pre- and post-visit activities. The program began with Muncie Community Schools and financial support from the Ball Brothers Foundation. Other Indiana schools in Delaware County and the surrounding area are invited to participate in the program. Financial assistance for transportation may be available for schools in the region: please reach out for more information.
Contact the museum for more information.
