Museum Visit Essay

Try to go to a museum that you have not been to before if your assignment 1 or 2 was not to your liking:

Research online the following museums in Ft Worth: Amon Carter Museum (cartermuseum.org), Kimbell Art Museum (kimbellart.org), the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (mamfw.org); Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art (www.dma.org), Nasher (www.nashersculpturecenter.org), The Crow Museum (crowcollection.org). From your research, choose one to visit. From your museum visit, select a work of art to evaluate. Utilizing the following format, record your observations in a minimum three-page written essay.

Write a formal essay using your Museum Worksheet notes, your observations, art elements/principles, chapter reading, and class experiences-insert the photo of you at the museum.

Compile the following into an essay. Respond to the sections in PARAGRAPH FORM! Use the questions provided (Q) as a guide to provide you with information for your paragraphs.

I. Introduction

Label- list name of artist, title of work, and gallery visited or location of artwork.

First Impression - record your first spontaneous reaction to the artwork. By the end of the process you may understand your first impression better or you may even change your mind. There are no wrong answers. Unfortunately, this step is where many people stop when they are looking at artworks. 


Description- this stage is like taking inventory. Imagine that you are describing the artwork to someone over the telephone.

II. Body Paragraphs 1, 2, 3

Analysis - Try to figure out what the artist has done to achieve certain effects. You should refer to your first impressions and try to explain how the artwork achieves that reaction.

Q. How are the Elements of Art (color, shape, line, texture, space, form, value) and the Principles of Design (balance, contrast, emphasis, movement/rhythm, unity, variety) used in this artwork?


Q. What do you notice about the artist's choice of materials?


Q. What grabs your attention in the work?

Q. At what do you think this artist worked particularly hard at while he/she did this work?


Q. Do you see any relationship between the things you listed during the description stage?


Q. What mood or feeling do you get when you look at this work of art?


Q. What "qualities" do you see in this work?

III. Conclusion

Interpretation - try to figure out what the artwork is about. Your own perspectives, associations and experiences meet with "the evidence" found in the work of art. All art works are about something.

Q.What is the theme or subject of the work?

Q. What is the work about; what so you think it means?

Q. Why do you think that artist created this work?

Q. What do you think the artist's view of the world is?

6. Informed Judgement - this is a culminating and reflecting activity. You need to come to some conclusions about the artwork based on all the information you have gathered and on your interpretations.

Q. Have your thoughts or feelings about the artwork changed since your first impression? If so, how? What made you change your mind?

Q. If not, can you now explain your first reaction to the work?

Q. What have you seen or learned from this work that you might apply to your own art work or your own thinking?

IV. MLA Documentation & Works Cited Page: