Docent-Guided Student Tours

(Be sure to read the notice to teachers and scheduling a tour sections below.)

Exploring original works of art at the Birmingham Museum of Art encourages analytical and creative thinking.  An attentive look and a lively discussion connecting art with history, literature, and science broaden the student’s knowledge and appreciation of art. Trained docents engage students in thoughtful observation, thereby encouraging them to talk about their impressions and helping them to link works of art with school curricula.  Students will grow to understand that a museum is a resource for lifelong learning.  The museum offers tours all year, usually lasting one hour, unless otherwise noted.  Our tours feature the permanent collection of the museum, but may include a visit to related special exhibitions.  All school groups are admitted to the museum FREE of charge.  See TOUR SCHEDULING for detailed information on special tours and booking procedures.  Teachers and parents who are planning tours for students should be sure to read our general information first.

 

DISCOVERING THE BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART TOUR
(OPEN TO ALL GRADES) Limit 120 students
This tour allows the first-time visit of students to the museum to be a positive experience.  If this is the first time you are bringing your class to the museum, then this discovery tour might be just the one for you.  Because the Birmingham Museum of Art has such wonderful and vast collections, we have divided this tour into two areas for your convenience and time.  Either choose our wonderful European and American collections or our expansive African, Asian, Southeast Asian, and Precolumbian collections.

ART SAFARI

(Grades K-2) Limit 120 students

Hunt for animals, real and imaginary, as they appear in works of art from a variety of cultures and time periods.  Students will also discover how images of animals are symbolized and used as decorations for everyday objects.  Students will develop observational and perceptual skills by identifying animals in paintings, sculptures, and textiles.

 

AMERICA THEN AND NOW

(Grades 3-12) Limit 60 students

Examine art in the United States from the eighteenth to the twentieth century.  Identify styles, themes, and cultural values that exemplify the nation’s diversity.  Students will learn about the European settlement of America, the expansion of the West, and the World Wars through works of art in the permanent collection.

 

AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE TOUR

(Grades 3-12) Limit 40 students

Students will celebrate and learn about the traditional arts of African masks, sculpted figures, and textiles that have played a role in the creation of works of art by African Americans.

 

CROSSCURRENTS OF CULTURE

(Grades 5-12) Limit 90 students

Inquiring minds want to know what an African mask or a Native American totem pole can tell us about the varied roles art has played in different cultures.  Students learn about traditions, rituals, and customs by studying the art of African, Native American, and Precolumbian cultures. They will explore function, style, and meaning of the artifacts from these cultures.

 

COLOR MY WORLD

(Grades 4-12) Limit 120 students

Students will be introduced to basic techniques used to create works of art: manipulation of line, color, light and shadow, pattern, texture, and shape.  Discover how the elements of art have developed from pre-Renaissance to the modern day.

 

NATIVE AMERICAN GALLERY

(Grades K-12) Limit 40 students

This tour is a hands-on voyage to the world of Native American peoples, from the Mound Builders of the Southeast, including artifacts of the Creek, Choctaw, Cherokee, and Chickasaw, to the inhabitants of the Plains and the Southwest, and even to the peoples of the Northwest Coast.  Close observation of objects in this gallery reveals the customs, values and beliefs of native cultures.

 

ASIAN GALLERIES

(Grades 4-12) Limit 90 students

Imagine traveling to distant lands to visit and study the arts and cultures of Asia.  Students will gain insight into Asia’s varied history, beliefs, and values by studying painting, sculpture, prints, ceramics, and design.  Students will discover a variety of materials, techniques, and motifs while studying the unique creativity revealed in the arts of China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia.

MYTHOLOGY:

TIMELESS TALES OF GODS AND HEROES

(Grades 6-12) Limit 45 students

What do the ancient stories of Greek gods and heroes tell us? Students will hear the various myths of ancient Greece, their lessons of friendship, sacrifice, pride, love and loyalty, and will learn how the Western world itself, to this day, expresses the ideas of ancient Greece.

 

WORLD HISTORY THROUGH PORTRAITS

(Grade 8-12) Limit 90 students

By observing various portraits at the Birmingham Museum of Art students will learn about fashion, traditions, social customs, politics, and biographical information. Ultimately, students will make connections between our contemporary world and the past.

 

START WITH ART AT THE BMA:

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

TO ART, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND LANGUAGE ARTS

(Grades K-5) Limit 45 students

The Education Department of the Museum has designed these interdisciplinary tours to incorporate the study of art into the social studies curriculum.  Themes from the Alabama Course of Study for Social Studies provide the basis for looking at and understanding works of art from the permanent collection.

 

HANDS ACROSS ART

Tour for Visually Impaired Students or Adults

The Museum has been providing access to blind and visually impaired visitors since the mid-1980s and today is one of the national leaders in museum tours created specifically for sight-impaired visitors. Hands Across Art has specially trained volunteer docents and sighted guides who present the permanent collection of the Museum to the visually impaired visitors by means of pictorial descriptions of the art and three-dimensional tactile models based on the paintings and sculpture.  The experience is enhanced by the use of period music.

BACK TO TOP

 

Attention Teachers:

Before You Choose Your Tour
Please read the following information while you are planning your tour topics and times.

Nudity Disclaimer
The Birmingham Museum of Art would like to make you aware that our collection contains some works that display the nude human figure.  The Museum realizes that teaching children about nudity is always a sensitive issue and a challenge. As teachers, you have a great responsibility to educate your students; therefore, it might be necessary to talk to your students about nudity in art before coming to the museum.  The BMA will be glad to help you and/or provide informative ways of discussing this issue.  You might find it necessary to let parents know or help you with suggestions about this topic.

Store Discount for Teachers and Chaperones

The Museum Store invites you and your students to purchase a souvenir at the conclusion of your tour. Be sure to schedule extra time after your tour to visit this unique gift shop. On the day of your tour, you and any adult accompanying your group will be allowed a 10% discount on your purchases (including books). There are also inexpensive items for children available. Sorry, no discount since these prices are already minimal. Major credit cards are accepted. The Museum Store is located on the second floor next to the Terrace Café and across from The Hess Education Gallery. 

Other Activities in the Galleries
Before your visit please reserve gallery space if you plan to draw or have your students draw, sketch, or fill out worksheets or questionnaires in the galleries.  ONLY PENCILS may be used in the galleries.  Remember teacher – assigned activities should be completed after the docent-led tour has ended.     Click here for guidelines for drawing in the museum.

Tour Scheduling

For all tour scheduling contact Sally Stephens, Coordinator of Tours, Docents and School Services, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., by phone 205-254-2318, or e-mail. Tours are scheduled THREE WEEKS in advance depending on available time and gallery space. Tour bookings are made on a first-come, first-served basis.

Preparing for Your Visit
After scheduling your tour, you will receive a confirmation letter with important information about your visit, tips for teachers and chaperones, and suggestions for pre-visit and post-visit activities.  This letter will also include information on where to meet your tour guide, how to make arrangements for visitors with special needs, and telephone numbers to call if you need to make changes in your scheduled tour.  Closer to your scheduled tour date a second confirmation letter and map for your driver(s) will be mailed.

Age Level
Kindergarten (5 years-old) through Adult

Group Size
The minimum size for a guided tour is 8 people. Most school tours can accommodate 45-90 students. K & 1st grade must have one adult for every 10 students.  Older school groups should have an adult for every 12 students. Teachers are responsible for supervising their students while in the museum. Special arrangements can be made for larger groups when time and space are available. 

Availability and Cost
Scheduled tours are available from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday 12 noon to 3 p.m.  School groups are admitted FREE to the Museum except for Special Exhibitions.

Special Needs
In order to better serve the schools and give all children a wonderful learning experience, the Department of Education and Public Programs would like school teachers to consider the following suggestions when booking a tour for school children who have learning and/or behavioral disorders, or any other special needs: