We argue that the art museum can and should be a place of philosophical exploration. It can be such a place because philosophy and art have important similarities. They both ask us to adopt a non-instrumental, contemplative attitude toward the world that allows us to widen our personal viewpoint and explore the complex nature of things. To…

In this essay, we explore ways in which cultural and museum spaces can be opened up to meaningful discussions about difficult topics and how this can be done through specific educational formats. We attempt to look critically at some of the assumptions that are around in critical museum education theory and practices, e.g. influences coming from…

Artistic and educational possibilities abound when institutions open their doors to local artists and allow them to work within their confines. The following case study articulates how the often unrecorded and unseen discourse between cultural workers leads to a deeper understanding and application of strategies that encourage effective…

Art-based education has been gaining the attention of healthcare educators as a means of promoting empathy, observation, and mindfulness in healthcare practitioners. This paper discusses using art-based education to encourage transformative learning and social justice in healthcare education. Specifically, we explore how this approach can…

For the past seven years, we -- a museum educator and an academic radiologist -- have co-taught Seeing in Art and Medical Imaging, a first-of-its-kind medical humanities curriculum for residents in nuclear medicine and radiology based at the Harvard Art Museums. The program aims to foster residents' close looking and clinical skills,…

This article seeks to illustrate the outcome of entering partnerships with open and flexible goals and lines of communication. Two unique, long-term partnerships at a medium-sized, regional museum of art and science are described, with details of the impact of these partnerships and different audiences served. Using current research on best…

Professional development opportunities for museum educators are often short-term experiences that are void of reflections to support one's professional growth and practices within a collaborative environment. Video clubs may serve as an effective approach to supporting the professional growth and practices of educators in museum settings. Video…

In 1903, Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) opened a most personal museum in which the building, the collection and installations are the vision of one woman, at a time when few opportunities were available to her gender in America. In its 2019-2024 strategic plan, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum committed to becoming a more visitor-centric…

The authors, a museum educator and a psychiatrist, present a case study of their collaborative work to develop museum experiences for trauma survivors participating in an outpatient treatment program that uses Cognitive Processing Therapy. The thesis behind the program, now in its eighth year, was that an art museum experience could be designed to…

This study examined the efficacy of a novel manualized educator training as part of the Guggenheim Museum's Guggenheim for All (GFA) program to increase access to high-quality arts programming for neurodiverse individuals. Ten arts educators and 37 parents of autistic children aged 2-17 were recruited to participate in this study. Results…

Museum communication spaces in art education enable a setting for education work that activates and involves the visitors. With appreciation, respect, and awareness, safe spaces for open communication are created. The text negotiates the framework of what we talk about, who determines and defines the negotiated topics. It is important to be aware…

This article engages crip theory and concepts from Critical Disability Studies to frame museum education through critical access and disability justice to center disabled, Mad, and neurodiverse audiences in public practice. The authors introduce and define key concepts and ask questions to cultivate "liberatory access" for museum…

The competencies and techniques used by employees, especially those who act as guides, are one of the most important vehicles for the transference of visitors' cultural understanding and memorable experiences. The aim of the study was to identify which guides' competencies can enhance generic learning outcomes of museum visitors. The data were…

This article examines forms of activism in which artistic expression features as a means of raising awareness and catalyzing progressive change on matters of equality, diversity, inclusion and social justice. Focusing in particular on anti-racist and decolonial activism within the context of art museums, experimental project spaces and collections…

In response to the Harvard Art Museums' ReFrame Initiative and the publication of the "Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery" report, the author reevaluates the display and discussion of images of enslaved people in ancient Greek art in the museum gallery. Ancient Greece relied heavily on the labor and crafts produced by enslaved people,…