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Artful Adventures
Make exciting discoveries during an Artful Adventures tour!

Artful Adventures

Artful Adventures provides opportunities for children ages 3 and older to connect with the art and cultures of Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas through engagement with the MFA collections.

Teachers and group leaders work closely with Museum educators to design customized adventures that fit the interests and needs of each group. Each visit lasts an hour and a half and combines gallery exploration with an art-making activity. We also offer Artful Adventures to bilingual groups (Spanish and French). See below for samples of our most popular offerings.

Pricing: $8 per child (includes materials and Museum admission). We charge for a minimum of 10 children. Payment in full is due on the day of your visit.

Chaperones: A minimum of one chaperone is required for every ten children. If you arrive without the appropriate number of chaperones, the Museum reserves the right to cancel your visit. All chaperones are free and receive a discount on parking in Museum facilities.

Reservations are required at least two weeks in advance. Please call 617-369-3303, (TTY) 617-267-9703, or fill out our online request form.



To cancel or change a reservation, please call 617-369-3303 or e-mail artfuladventures@mfa.org.


NOTE:

Due to the opening of the new Art of the Americas Wing in November, and the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's holidays, we are unable to offer Artful Adventures tours at the Museum on the dates listed below. However, if you would like to schedule an off-site program, our instructors can bring an art-making activity, hands-on materials, and images from the Museum's collections to you.

  • Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - Sunday, November 21, 2010
  • Thursday, November 25, 2010 - Sunday, November 28, 2010
  • Friday, December 24, 2010 - Sunday, January 2, 2011



    Support provided by: Michael D. Dingman Fund; Pamela D. Adams Fund for Artful Adventures; Richard W. and Marjorie S. Dammann Fund; Mrs. Charles H. Taylor Fund; William O. and Sally Taylor Fund; Rieka, Samuel, and Renée Rapaporte Fund for Educational Outreach for Youth and Families; Bramhall Fund; Estate of Charlotte Brayton.

  • Sample Adventures
    Teachers and group leaders may choose one of the adventures below or work with a Museum educator to create a customized visit.

    Animals in Art
    Search for animals in paintings and sculptures in different galleries.
    Art Activities: Clay, masks, painting, or puppets

    Asian Art
    Walk through a Chinese house and a Buddhist Temple Room, learn about impressive gods and goddesses, and take a closer look at scroll paintings.
    Art Activities: Clay, pendants, or Sumi-e painting

    Colors and Shapes
    Discover how shapes and colors can be combined to create a masterpiece! Young children learn about the three primary colors and discover how to create secondary colors.
    Art Activities: Collage or painting

    Fantastic Creatures
    Dragons, griffins, and sphinx! Find artwork featuring animals and other creatures.
    Art Activities: Clay, masks, pendants, or puppets

    Fashion
    Examine clothing and accessories worn by people in paintings and sculptures.
    Art Activities: Drawing with watercolor pencils in the galleries, jewelry, paper dolls, pendants, or puppets

    Images of Power
    What does it mean to be powerful? Learn about gods and goddesses from different countries, cultures, and time periods.
    Art Activities: Clay, masks, painting, pendants, or puppets

    Impressionism
    Learn about impressionism from American and European impressionist paintings and compare these to others in the collections.
    Art Activities: Drawing with watercolor pencils in the galleries or painting on canvas

    Masks
    Are masks just for holidays? Journey through the Museum to look at masks from around the world.
    Art Activity: Masks

    Reading Adventures!
    See below for more information about Reading Adventures!

    Stories in Art
    There are interesting stories behind every work of art. Take a closer look, hear stories, and create your own!
    Art activities: Bookmaking, clay, collage, drawing, masks, painting, or puppets

    The Art and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt
    Unlock the mysteries of ancient Egypt and hear about daily life in this amazing civilization. Meet our mummies and learn why and how Egyptians prepared for the afterlife.
    Art Activities: Clay, mummy masks, or pendants

    Reading Adventures!
    Reading Adventures! is a literacy-based Artful Adventures tour that includes an informational packet e-mailed to you in advance. This information includes links to online image archives and slide shows, suggested pre- and post-visit activities, and a list of other books and resources.

    Tours are specifically designed around the images, stories, and themes found in each book. Teachers and group leaders may choose one of the books listed below or work with a Museum educator to create a customized visit based on a book that your group is currently reading.


    D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
    by Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaires

    This book includes popular myths surrounding the pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses. At the Museum children can see mythology depicted in ancient Greek and Roman vases, statues, and other works of art.
    Art Activities: Clay, masks, pendants, or puppets

    Katie Meets the Impressionists
    by James Mayhew

    While visiting the art museum with her grandmother, Katie steps inside Impressionist paintings to gather a bouquet of flowers for Grandma's birthday. Inside the paintings she discovers picnics, friends, art studios, and theaters. At the Museum children will be able to look at Impressionist paintings at the Museum just like those in which Katie finds herself!
    Art Activities: Drawing with watercolor pencils in the galleries or painting on canvas

    The 5,000-year-old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt
    by Claudia Logan

    Will travels to Giza to help find the next Egyptian burial tomb. Readers help Will solve the mystery surrounding the tomb and learn about various ancient Egyptian customs. See all of the objects mentioned in the book and learn about the real-life archaeological expedition that brought the objects to the Museum’s Egyptian collection during your visit!
    Art Activities: Clay, mummy masks, or pendants

    Visiting the Art Museum
    by Laurene Krasny Brown and Marc Brown

    A wonderfully illustrated picture book that follows a family during their visit to an art museum. Many of the paintings, sculptures, and artifacts portrayed in the photographs and illustrations refer to pieces from the Museum of Fine Art’s collection!
    Art Activities: 3D sculptures, clay, drawing with watercolor pencils in the galleries, painting, or pendants

    The Hunter and the Crocodile
    by Baba Wague Diakite

    A West African tale rich in the culture and history of Africa that tells the story of a man and animal working together to survive. At the Museum children can see not only African art, but other pieces that describe the relationship between man and nature.
    Art Activity: Masks
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