A Museum Course for the Non-Professional

Abstract

The students and faculty of The University of Kansas City have a rare advantage in that a major art museum, the Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, is located adjacent to their campus. In a situation where most of the academic buildings are less than three-quarters of a mile from the museum building, classes can be held at the gallery whenever it is convenient for the course. The rich collections provide an exceptional opportunity for the use of original works of art in academic courses. In effect, we can make use of the museum as if it were part of the university. Advantageous as this might be, there are, of course, some serious problems associated with the effective use of museum collections in art history courses. A given course, for example the “Northern Renaissance,” ranges far beyond the possessions of any one museum; and the usual procedure of emphasizing established masters and masterpieces normally excludes a great deal of what this museum (or any other) happens to possess. And even where the holdings ...