journal4811

In general, museums struggle to define the value of what they do to the average

community member. Why would someone who has never been to an art museum before, and

who has no experience with art, suddenly choose to visit? The benefits of a museum experience

are complicated and personal. They depend on a myriad of factors, including expectations of

visitor, fulfillment of expectations in previous museum trips, personal history, context, mood,

etc. What one person may love about the museum, another may hate. What one visitor thinks

or feels in front of a work of art, another may never know.

Art is an interactive experience and museums provide a means of connecting people with

objects. They also do so much more…

• Why do we go to museums?

• What compels us?

• What do we hope to see?

• What do we aim to learn while we are there?

• What is a good museum experience?

Google has partnered with hundreds of museums, cultural institutions, and archives to host the

world’s cultural treasures online. With a team of dedicated Googlers, we are building tools that

allow the cultural sector to display more of its diverse heritage online, making it accessible to

all. Here you can find artworks, landmarks and world heritage sites, as well as digital exhibitions

that tell the stories behind the archives of cultural institutions across the globe.

Watch this video on the Google Cultural Institute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEJqCUiaV68 The Google Cultural Institute puts the

world’s cultural treasures at your fingertips. Get started by selecting an exhibition or a project.

Search for a keyword, or use the Explore menu to find more partners and categories. Or visit

“User Galleries” to find collections created by other visitors. Once you’ve selected a gallery and

chosen an image, zoom in to see incredible detail.

Watch this video on how to navigate Google Cultural Institute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpplbJMj-No&feature=c4-overview-

vl&list=PLw83Po3C1UpxvU334ATdkJDsId_WAZ1qI

Explore the Google Cultural Institute. Browse through any of the collections until you find an

art piece that appeals to you. Then share what you find so fascinating about this piece. Consider

the text, context and subtext of the piece. In your response, remember to explain what caught

your interest or attention – give me the details!

1. Identify the title/name of the work, the medium used, and the artist. (10 points)

2. Include an image of the artwork and a link to the source. (5 points)

3. Explain why you chose this particular work - be specific in identifying connections to

beliefs and/or rituals. Your assignment should be a minimum of 250 words in length.

(10 points)

This assignment is worth 25 points.