Young people's encounters with museum collections: Expanding the range of contexts for art appreciation

Abstract

This article reports on attempts to expand the range of contexts for art appreciation through practical school–museum collaboration. Since various arts require various ways of being viewed, I encouraged opportunities for youngsters to encounter art in ways they had not previously experienced in their classrooms. Focusing on contemporary art, photography and calligraphy, my students and I endeavoured to expand appreciation activities in terms of modern, contemporary and traditional art, by conducting a number of 'practice trials', four of which are considered in this article. One example is the art project on the wider appreciation of calligraphy, which is taught in Japanese language class during compulsory education. Another lies in workshops involving art appreciation and creation with new and traditional media. It was clear to us that arranging art-making as a part of art appreciation programmes helps to engage young people effectively, and also that innovative drawing techniques can be developed using both new media and traditional tools.