Learning to Look/Looking at Learning || Reflections on Museum Education at Dulwich Picture Gallery

National Art Education Association

Reflections on Museum Education at Dulwich Picture GalleryAuthor(s): Silja-Riitta DurantSource: Art Education, Vol. 49, No. 1, Learning to Look/Looking at Learning (Jan., 1996), pp.15-24Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193577 .

Accessed: 15/06/2014 01:04

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to ArtEducation.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 62.122.73.250 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 01:04:34 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=naea

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193577?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


Reflections EMuseum Ii

Educatiori at Duiwich Picture

Gallery

II .I

I I 1,

A rt museums are an important educational resource. Educators have just started to discover their full potential for the education of the young. As educators in art museums are developing, implementing and evaluating new education programs and

many teachers in schools are trying to understand how an art museum experience could support and enrich learning in the classroom, it seems logical that we study some well-established art museum programs already in existence, learn from them and build on the existing knowledge and experience. With this in mind, I went to visit Dulwich Picture Gallery as part of a more extensive study of different art education programs in England.

Dulwich Picture Gallery is the oldest public picture gallery in England. Its location in Southeast London, about a fifteen-minute train trip from Victoria Station, often excludes it from the itinerary of even an art-loving tourist despite its outstanding collection of seventeenth and eighteenth century art. The gallery is small in size and scale, especially when com- pared with giants like the National Gallery. However, its prestigious collection of Rembrandts, Rubens, Van Dykes, Poussins, Gainsboroughs and other old masters can stand up to any collection of its kind.

One may wonder how such a prestigious collection of paintings found

BY SILJA-RIITTA DURANT

JANUARY 1996 / ART EDUCATION I

hn

? * * 5 *.

*

*

* 'a

*s *bb

*e

..**"



its way to this location. Part of the rea- son is very simply that the founders of the gallery had deep pockets and superb taste. The core of the collection was originally created for Stanislaus Augustus, the last king of Poland. He was a great patron of the arts and this collection was to be the basis for a Polish National Gallery. However, history intervened; the king was forced to abdicate in 1795 and the paintings were never delivered to Poland. Through a complicated route they were acquired by the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

The collection, now consisting of 650 works, is housed in a building designed by Sir John Soane and built in 1811. The building itself is generally regarded as an architectural gem. The Gallery consists of several small galleries furnished in period furniture and walls full of paintings often two or three layers deep. The atmosphere is both intimate and grand at the same time.

The museum's immediate sur- roundings consist of big lawns, pleas- ant-looking private houses and a couple of respected private schools. However, this island of apparent tranquillity and financial comfort is surrounded by some of the toughest inner-city areas of London. It is the schools located in these ethnically mixed and economically deprived areas that are the target audiences for this museum's educational program. The contrast is obvious and, when the education program was started ten years ago, many saw it as a mission impossible, doomed from the start.

For example, at the beginning stages of the program, the director of the program was told by one headmaster that this museum with its elitist and western tendencies could not possibly have anything to offer the education of

ethnic minority groups. Culturally they were worlds apart and he had no inten- tion of wasting any time in this gallery. Later on, however, the fifteen-minute appointment that this headmaster had agreed to, despite his strong reserva- tions, turned into a three-hour conversation. This resulted in a visit to the museum by one class soon followed by all the other classes in the school. The director returned to the school for follow-up activities and, since all of the

children had made their own paintings connected to the visit to the museum, it was decided that they should have an arts festival to show the works to the parents and other members of the com- munity.

The festival included performances of music, drama and dance. The inspiration and motivation for all of this was the shared cultural experience in the museum. Since the children came from

i ART EDUCATION / JANUARY 1996

Europe in a Suitcase. Our actor

nobleman goes on a Grand Tour of

European Countries via our paint-

ings. Photo courtesy of Dulwich

Picture Gallery.

.??????????????????

)?????????????????? ????????*??? 4:::1C::::, ???i::i::::*?????? ?::? *::?? ?::?? ?::???*':':*:::?ii ???????????????????



several cultures, all artistic expression reflected their own cultural backgrounds. Thus, even though this resource is rather monocultural, it inspired a festival that was multicultural in nature. The festival was a celebration of different cultures and shared common experience. The only criterion was quality of expression in its endlessly variable forms.

The museum's relationship with this school continues to develop. Every class in the school visits the museum at

least once a year. Today 8,000 school children visit Dulwich Gallery each year and a large percentage of them are from the inner-city public housing area.

The education department was set up in 1984 with the cooperation of regional school authorities. This education program is characterized by its unbureaucratic nature. Its founder and director, Gillian Wolfe, single handedly built the education department from the ground up, whe jshe came on board ten years ago ',Toda- s iehas

Gillian Wolfe, Head of Education at Dulwich Picture

Gallery and Advisory Teacher for Southwark, with

pupils from Heber school. Photo by Len Cross.

Photo courtesy of Dulwich Picture Gallery.

received many national awards for innovative museum education as well as international recognition. Throughout all of this, Ms. Wolfe has had the full support and cooperation of the museum director and the govern- ing bodies e r, ho hc,

JANUARY 1996 / ART EDUCATION



she is quick to admit, this work would not have been possible. It would not have been possible either without the group of twelve very dedicated and professional volunteer teachers who han- dle twelve school groups a week. The program is run on a shoestring budget. Some of the director's time is, therefore, spent fund-raising even though she would rather spend the time working with children. The museum does not receive nor seek any government funds. They feel this gives them inde- pendence.

ISSUES OF PHILOSOPHY AND AESTHETICS

The museum sees art as fundamental to life, not as some extracurricular activity. The arts are seen "as a human- izing influence, an extension of our inborn creativity and expression of man's spirit" (Wolfe, 1987, p. 22). Therefore, one goal is not just to become familiar with art but also to develop greater awareness of visual images in the larger society.

The aim of the education department is to make their collection of paintings accessible to those who previ- ously felt excluded, disinterested or indifferent. Their goal is to make art exciting and meaningful for children from diverse backgrounds. They believe that all children, regardless of their level of ability and background, can benefit from rich cultural experiences and should have access to them. The museum wants to open doors for children to the world that they might not otherwise have come in contact with, believing that children from all walks of life should see and experience for themselves examples of the great- est and most treasured artistic achieve- ments of their society. Gillian Wolfe explains, "a child unexposed to all sorts of cultural excellence cannot understand why society prizes certain arti-

facts so highly and he/she is not give:* any keys to unlock doors to find out. Might it be inverted power too, a way ̀ x

keeping people in their place? Social mobility is not easy for those with no conception of recognized culture" (Wolfe, 1987, p. 20).

Underlying all educational activity is concern for personal connections and the development of personal relationships. These are seen as the comer- stones of the program. From the very start, making contacts and building relationships with schools was done through personal visits and meetings with the heads of schools.

At the early stages of the program, a considerable amount of the director's time was spent meeting with headmas- ters, teachers and parent groups in schools. Today, because the program is so widely recognized and publicized, many schools initiate contact. However, no museum visit is arranged without careful consultation with the classroom teacher. Each visit is custom designed to suit the needs and interests of the particular group. The museum staff consults the teacher about the theme and the specific content of the visit as well as how it fits into the school's curriculum plan. Particular needs, abilities and disabilities of children are taken into consideration when planning the visit. Programs for every category of disability are available with specially trained teachers. The museum is intensely concerned with the relevance of education activities to the individual class teacher and the particular needs of the group. The museum teachers plan, research and prepare each talk and art activity in accordance with the wishes and goals of the school teachers. The planning is a cooperative process.

Thus, school teachers' interest and involvement is a requirement and not

just a w f. If t -re not inteted in '

gettif involved is i suggested that mayi :iffsis not s right m ,itstf themi. .e museu is not iintrested in. givinggied tus or field tr: t school children. They are interested in creating a meaningful and enjoyable educational experience.

During the visit in the gallery, personal connections between the museum teacher and the students are emphasized. Children need friendly, caring and sensitive guidance when negotiating this new environment. They need to feel comfortable, welcomed and have good memories in order to return later on their own accord. The introductory visit is seen as an essential and critical starting point for further study and involvement. If some kind of personal connections are not made during that first visit, there is not likely to be a next time. It is also recognized that sometimes positive experiences lie dormant for a long time and can provide an inspiration much later in life. However, this means that some kind of significant connection was ini- tially made.

The museum teachers go to great lengths to try to make each child feel like a welcomed guest. For example, they help the children with their coats in winter and always thank the children for coming. The whole museum staff seems to take a great delight when they see or hear that a child from a school group returned to the museum with parents who now were visiting the museum for the first time. The museum is in the process of creating specific educational programs designed for visiting parents who have little previous background and experience with fine arts.

Learning to look at art is a skill that requires time and effort as well as sensitive and enthusiastic guidance. Because it is a time consuming process

ART EDUCATION / JANUARY 1996



Talking Pictures. Our actor is Van Dyck. Photo

courtesy of Dulwich Picture Gallery.

that takes more than an introductory visit, follow-up and multiple visit programs are encouraged. According to Gillian Wolfe, there are several studies that show the dubious value of many one-time visits to cultural institutions. However, if only one visit is possible, the museum must make a real effort to

make this visit truly meaningful for each child. Connecting museum study with school curriculum or systematic learning process is essential.

In the process of looking, factual information such as dates, names, and influences are avoided. Emphasis is on learning from the picture, discovering clues and trying to make sense of it in

one's own terms. The museum is interested in developing each child's understanding and knowledge and can only begin to introduce special vocabulary and new concepts during the first visit When children first start to look at art, making connections from their own particular situations is the most important thing. The purpose is to make chil dren feel that they can gain access to art on their own level and in their own

*ffieeee*--@X*@@@eeee@ @**-@@-@@@@@ssee----e


????????????????????????????????????????



terms. Using the formal language of art at this level could make the art seem distant and the children feel even more alienated.

Accessibility and motivation are key words. The goal is to demystify art, to make these pictures by old masters come alive for children of diverse backgrounds. Sometimes this happens almost literally. The museum has an actor dressed as Rembrandt or Van Dyke who appears and tells children about the paintings, techniques and life at the time of the artist The museum also encourages cross-curricular links. They are especially proud of their science and art collaboration where pigments are ground in the manner used before the advent of commercial paints. The museum's goal is to make pastoral landscapes, biblical stories, and por- traits of aristocrats relevant and meaningful for children from inner cities. The challenge is tremendous, especially when one also considers that these pictures were often painted in brownish and gloomy palettes while children of today are used to bright colors and the fast moving images of TV, videos, and advertisements. However, Gillian Wolfe explains, there are themes such as love, war, animals, happiness, sadness, mother and child to which all children from all cultural backgrounds can respond. Children are encouraged to express and share their perceptions, associa- tions and ideas with everybody in the group to increase everybody's understanding, knowledge and imagination.

Powerful visual images can communicate across language and cultural barriers, sometimes much better than words. Children who come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and may have only limited ability in English language share common

experiences. Often what they cannot express in words, they express in pictures. Most visits involve art activity that often continues in school.

The role of the museum teacher is central and critical to the process of learning to look at art. "Visual arts need mediators who understand how to communicate with all manner of diverse intellect and cultural backgrounds" (Wolfe, 1987, p. 22). Sensitivity, responsiveness and enthu- siasm are necessary qualities for a teacher in this process which empha- sizes active involvement Professional quality and consistency are critical and essential for the success of this program. All teachers, even though volunteers, are certified and experi- enced teachers.

ISSUES OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

The Education Department at Dulwich Picture Gallery has no multicultural education policy nor is there any special policy for other groups. They believe "a concept of identity based on criteria other than 'race' or ethnic background is vital," but that cultural diversity is a great advantage (Wolfe, 1987, p. 22). When all children are encouraged to express their own authentic voices, their own perceptions and ideas, and to share these with others in the group, everyone's understanding increases. When children in the group come from a variety of different backgrounds, the richness and variety of perceptions and ideas become greater. Everyone in the group benefits as they all learn to see through different lenses, to understand and appreciate different ways of seeing and being.

A visit to Tower Hamlets School

District gave better understanding of the context of the museum's program. This school district is very similar to those inner-city housing areas near the museum. The superintendent of this school district explained that until two years ago school children from this working-class and heavily ethnic district were not offered Shakespeare and many other masterpieces of Western literature except in some high ability and special classes. The children were introduced to literature that was considered more immediate- ly relevant to their station in life. Social mobility was obviously not one of the goals in the minds of those who planned that curriculum; holding on to the class structure was more like it.

Things have changed with the introduction of the National Curriculum two years ago. Now all children are introduced to Shakespearean literature, and provid- ing children with cultural experiences is mandatory. However, attitudes cannot be changed overnight. Most children here are not yet familiar with old masters nor more recent examples of excellence in art. According to the superintendent, most teachers here seem to feel more comfortable visiting historic houses than fine arts museums. Thus, it is not only the children but often their teachers who still feel that art museums belong to others.

Dulwich Picture Gallery believes that communication is the key when reaching new audiences especially those who feel ignored or rejected by fine arts museums. Consistent throughout the program is the museum's desire and effort for meaningful communication with its audiences and for communication that is truly respectful of the audience's actual


0 0 0 0

0 0000 * *00 a* 0000 0000 000 0000 0000 0 0 00 00 000 00 0 000 000000 000 0 0 0 0 0000 00 00 000 0 0 000 0 0 0 00

0



Gillian Wolfe with a group of primary school children.

JANUARY 1996 / ART EDUCATION Ij

* ee*0 I'*PP@@@@ssse@@@@l



Learning to understand

needs and interests. At every stage of the program, when first trying to reach new audiences, when planning visits, and finally, in the galleries while engag- ing in encounters with real art objects, a mutually respectful dialogue and the development of trusting relationships are critical parts of communication.

An example of the success of this program was given by a school teacher visiting the museum with her social studies class for the fourth time this school year. During our conversation, she explained that she had been coming to the museum with her students for several years and that these ses- sions with museum teachers had become an integral part of her social studies curriculum.

WHAT EDUCATORS MIGHT LEARN FROM THE DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY

Each museum needs to formulate and articulate its own educational mission and the theoretical and philosophical premises on which the education program is built. Yet, we often overstep this process and go directly to the prac- tical and particular issues. Educational programs in museums and, for that matter, in schools, often have a preoc- cupation with the nuts and bolts of the program at the expense of understand- ,,, ing the underlying premises of their pratices.- Accrdin t asto:'- -

"lough theare urren|y thou- sands of musim euaicatior programs in operatio', tre appear to be no examples of philosophical frameworks for developing, implementing and evaluating these programs" (Caston, 1989, p. 91).

A museum needs to have a solid framework of ideas and philosophy as the basis of its education program to

give museum programs coherence and direction. Museum visits must be planned and constructed according to the varied needs, interests and goals of the audience. At the same time it is important to retain the integrity and dignity of the museum experience in its own right so that it is not used just to support or illuminate other subject matters but is always an equal partner in any joint study and exploration. We need this balance if educational quality and consistency of teaching are priori- ties of the museum's education program.

Since good teaching is never based on exact formulas or preconceived scripts, it can vary a great deal even within the same program. However, if this teaching, as varied as it may be, is grounded in the shared understanding of the program's larger goals, purposes and meanings, it can have consistency. This way the evaluation process of the program can be more systematic and, therefore, can be better used as a tool for improving education rather than just for control.

Consideration of the background of the audience is the critical and central element of the education program at Dulwich. There are no generic tours offered at Dulwich. They believe that, for museum teaching to be relevant and meaningful, it needs to be geared to the

atailvel o noedg e and under- s'anding of tf:e chileren at hand. We ned to take 'them ifm where they are and not from :ere :hey are supposed or expected to bei.? talk by a museum teacher can be brilliant, but if it does not connect with the particular students at hand, it can be largely wasted. Thus, all visits are custom designed for the particular interests and needs of each group of children within the goals and aims of their school curriculum.

art of various cultures and

times including our own

is not about facts and

information, even though

they are a necessary and

even an essential part of

the inquiry.

The involvement of the classroom teacher in planning the museum visit is a requirement and not just a wish, because Dulwich Picture Gallery wants educational quality to be a consistent effort rather than an occasional occur- rence. It is, after all, the classroom teacher who knows the students best. Furthermore, if the aim is to make the museum experience a relevant and integral part of the children's school curriculum, their school teacher's involvement is essential. In addition, if classroom teachers are not actively involved with the museum visit, they may be sending their students a mes- sage that this experience is not really important. This alone can undermine any serious museum education program.

Avoidance of preconceptions about the audience is central to the philosophy of the education program at Dulwich. The museum does not have preplanned lessons for groups of any kind, since it is impossible to preconceive what is in the minds of a particu-




lar group of students. Furthermore, the museum feels that dividing young people into categories according to their racial, ethnic, cultural or economic backgrounds could be patronizing and divisive. Naturally, all children come from particular cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds, but their personalities reflect so many other elements, such as education, influences of popular culture and peer groups, and their own particular personal characteristics. Thus, to treat children mainly as repre- sentatives of socially constructed categories would ignore this com- plexity. Besides, it is impossible for any teacher to preconceive which particular influences prevail in a particular group. Thus, museum teachers, in addition to custom planning their lessons for individual groups, need to be responsive and sensitive to the children and their ideas and questions. Fundamental to the program is its respect for children's diversity which informs and enriches their learning.

Making connections is an essential part of the education program at Dulwich. Each child is encouraged to make personal connections with this new world they are discovering and investigating. Mondrian once said: "In art the search for a content which is collec- tively understandable is false; the content will always be individual" (Ross, 1987, p. 624). John Dewey wrote extensively about the impor- tance of making connections between school experience and real life experience in order to

ma:-e leai-ing me'niingul and?ast- ing.' Feldtian wriefls tha "good .1. interprettionm i ves siscov ihng the meaning Of a work of art and stating its relevance to our lives and the human situation in gener- al" (1992, p. 494). According to Maxine Greene: "We want to enable all sorts of young people to realize that they have the right to achieve works of art as meaningful against their own lived lives" (1991, p. 38).

When children are encouraged to look at art and respond to it against their own knowledge and lived experiences, they bring into this process their feelings, emo- tions and imagination as well as their intellect. When children are encouraged to make connections between different elements in the art work as well as between the art objects and their own lives, they start to feel connected to the situation. They can become active par- ticipants in their own learning instead of just being outside observers. They can learn to make sense of it in their own way and start to understand. Children learn to experience art rather than just learn about it. Knowledge acquired in this manner is not just a collection of facts soon to be forgotten, but real knowledge grounded in understanding and experience. When children internalize this newly acquired knowledge, it becomes part of their base knowledge and all subsequent experiences are influenced by it.

Imaginative and connected encounters with real art objects can make children more aware and conscious of the world around them and their relationship to it.

Timy can Lso oelln newworld, to tiim and offer ihraginatie jOTr- ney beyozd thei ordiniry evey- day lives. Such experiences can increase children's understanding-C- and imagination about different possibilities in their lives. This is important to all children, but especially significant for those children who come from economically deprived backgrounds. The need for connected and imaginative encounters with art and art museums becomes even more urgent when we consider that some of the main problems youth face today result from boredom, isolation and alienation. Through continued and involved encounters with art, young people can learn to make more sense of their presence in the world, to gain new insights and per- spectives, to discover new possibilities and, hopefully, to realize better their own potentials.

Dialogue and inquiry are an integral part of the method of teaching at Dulwich. Dialogue that respects and values what each stu- dent has to say can inspire further exploration and more intense involvement as well as increase self-confidence. However, this means that children are expressing their own authentic voices and not just repeating something they believe they are expected to say or memorize. This way, children learn to value their own voices and their own uniqueness as a individuals as well as to respect differences in others.

Children need to be able to use their own language and not words




which may be meaningless to them in order to make sense of art and to understand it. Learning to understand the formal qualities of art such as line, color, form, texture and composition is an important part of the process of learning to look at and understand art. However, before new art vocabulary and concepts can be introduced to children in a meaningful way, they need to be able to look at art and make sense of it at a more basic and fundamental level in terms of their own experience, whatever it may be.

There are those who would claim that quest for meaning should come later on in the appreciative process, at least after children have mastered the rudiments of the formal art language. In practice, this would mean that we would put a meaningful art experience out of reach for a large percentage of children. According to Dulwich Picture Gallery, in order for children to develop a meaningful relationship with an art museum, they need to first make some significant connections with it. Otherwise they will not be back, at least not of their own accord. Without such connections children may lack motivation and incentive for further study of art. The goal of the initial visit at Dulwich Picture Gallery is to encour- age deeper involvement and continued relationships. After all, learning to look at art is a process that needs to be nur- tured and developed and not something that one can just instantaneously impose on children.

When we introduce children to the language of art, we must not do it arbi- trarily but with care and in the context of the particular conversation. We must consider the children's capacity for con- ceptual understanding which depends

on their age and stage of development as well as their actual level of knowledge and interest.

Consideration of the quality of art is important when we introduce children to art. We may not all have access to the kinds of masterpieces found at Dulwich, but it seems that the quality of art, whatever kind, matters in an art experience. As it is the special qualities of an art object as opposed to any other kind of object that make art experiences possible, it would seem to follow that high quality art can provide the best situations for this to be realized. By its nature an art object has ambigu- ous, spiritual and mystical qualities that defy all definite and conclusive explana- tions. The richness of such qualities is usually greater in art of high quality. Consequently these works can better evoke new responses with each encounter. Therefore, the quest for meaning goes on indefinitely, varying according to times and audiences.

The Dulwich Picture Gallery believes it is important to introduce children to art that is valued by the society in which they live. Art works esteemed by society can provide oppor- tunities for children to contemplate and reflect on the ideas and values expressed in that art. Regardless of children's present or future desires to adjust to or change their society, they need to understand it and to have access to what it has to offer. If the purpose of education is to produce informed and participating citizens, children need to learn to understand their society and their relationship to it. Art and art museum experience can deepen and expand this kind of understanding.

Learning to understand art of various cultures and times including our own is not about facts and information, even though they are a necessary and

even an essential part of the inquiry. Ultimately, it is about connections, relationships and meanings. It is about art's ability and power to awaken and develop new levels of awareness and con- sciousness in all of us. If it is our aim to make art museum experience meaningful and significant for children from all walks of life, and, if it is our aim to not just expose children to art but help them experience art as deeply and intensely as their own development and ability allow, I believe it is well worth our time to reflect on the ideas and philosophy of the education program at Dulwich Picture Gallery and the questions they may raise about our own practices.

Silja-Riitta Durant, M.A., is an inde- pendent art and museum educator.

NOTE The research for this article was done as part

of a larger study on art museum education programs at Teachers College, Columbia University.

REFERENCES Caston, E. B. (1989). A model for teaching in a

museum setting. In N. Berry & S. Mayer (Eds.), Museum education: History, theory, andpractice. (pp. 90-108). Reston, VA: The National Art Education Association.

Feldman, E. B. (1992). Varieties of Visual Experience (4th ed.). New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Greene, M. (1991). Texts and margins. Harvard Educational Review, 6, 27-39.

Ross, S. D. (ed). (1987). Art and its signifi- cance: An anthology of aesthetic theory (2nd ed.). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Wolfe, G. (1987). Multi-cultural clientele in a mono-cultural resource. Journal of Education in Museums, 7,20-22.




Documents

Learning to Look/Looking at Learning || Reflections on Museum Education at Dulwich Picture Gallery