Free Workshops

Work with other teachers and MFA educators to explore ways of enlivening the classroom using Museum objects as teaching tools. Prepare for your upcoming school group visit to the MFA. Our complimentary workshops typically feature a slide presentation by a curator or guest speaker, followed by time in the galleries with Gallery Instructors. All are designed to address Curriculum Framework requirements.
 

 

Art of Asia
October 9, 2013, 4-7pm 


Among the finest in the Western world, the MFA's collection of Asian art covers the creative achievement of more than half the world's population since 4,000 BC. The collection encompasses Japanese, Chinese, and Indian painting and sculpture; Japanese prints and metalwork; Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese ceramics; and the arts of the Islamic world. In this workshop, learn about the MFA’s new thematic tours in this area, and explore how these tours relate to the World History and Foreign Languages curriculum frameworks.
(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; HSS: World History I and II; Foreign Languages Cultures Strand)
 
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John Singer Sargent Watercolors

November 13, 2013, 4-7 pm
 
This exhibition, co-organized with the Brooklyn Museum, combines for the first time the two most significant institutional collections of watercolor paintings by John Singer Sargent. The exhibition offers the public an unprecedented opportunity to view over eighty of the brilliant watercolors Sargent produced between 1905 and 1911--when he was at the height of his artistic powers and internationally recognized as the greatest American painter of his age. Learn more about Sargent and his work in various media, including watercolors, oil on canvas, and the MFA’s murals.
(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; HSS: US History II)
 
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Sacred Pages: Conversations about the Qur'an

December 11, 2013, 4-7 pm
 
The MFA has a rich collection of loose pages from Qur'ans made as early as the eighth and as recently as the twentieth century. From an art historical standpoint these are fascinating and beautiful objects that speak to key developments in Islamic art. This is, however, just one of many possible ways to appreciate them. Of equal importance is the perspective of Muslim viewers, for whom Qur'an pages are sacred objects endowed with meaning on many levels. This exhibition presents multiple ways of looking at pages from Qur'ans by pairing conventional curatorial interpretation with personal statements by members of Boston's Islamic community.  This workshop will give teachers an opportunity to explore this fascinating exhibition while learning about ways to incorporate the art of the Islamic World into their classrooms.
(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; HSS: World History I and II)
 
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Ancient Legacy

January 8, 2014
 
Even after the fall of Rome, the values and aspirations of the classical world continued to influence generations. This workshop will explore how subsequent groups of artists in Europe and the United States reinterpreted and appropriated the ideals of the ancients for their own times.  This workshop is ideal for teachers of World or United States History, or for teachers looking to make connections among different cultures and time periods.
(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: HSS: US History I and II; World History I and II; ELA 16: Myth, Traditional Narrative, and Classical Literature; Foreign Languages Cultures Strand)
 
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Audubon's Birds, Audubon's Words

February 12, 2014 
 
There are very few books more famous than John James Audubon's Birds of America. In its enormous pages - each more than three feet high - Audubon captured the full range of eastern North America's avian life in the 1820s. Then, as now, people marveled at the liveliness of Audubon's birds, as if they might literally fly off the sheet in a ruffle of feathers. Learn more about how Audubon’s work can be used in both the art and the science classroom. 
(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: HSS: US History I; Science: Biology)
 
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Art of Africa: Benin Bronzes from the Lehman Collection

March 12, 2014 
 
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has received the Robert Owen Lehman Collection of 34 rare West African works of art. The gift, which includes 28 bronzes and six ivories, will go on display in late 2013 in a gallery dedicated to the arts of Benin. This workshop will focus on this new acquisition, as well as the MFA’s rapidly growing selection of African art, and give teachers an opportunity to explore ways of including African art in their art and World History curricula.
(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; HSS: World History I and II)
 
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Art, Writing and the Common Core

April 9, 2014
 
Art can inspire writers in all genres, whether it’s poetry or prose, fiction or non-fiction.  Close looking at art can also build skills in observation, description, and critical thinking, which are all essential tools in the writer’s toolbox.  In this interactive workshop, you will be able to try many different writing activities in the galleries that will inspire your students while making direct connections with the Common Core.
(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; ELA 19: Writing; ELA 20: Consideration of Audience and Purpose)
 
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A Sense of Place

May 14, 2014 
 
The MFA is home to many different immersive spaces from various cultures and time periods, including the Japanese Buddhist Temple Room, the 11th century Catalonian Chapel, and the early 19th century Oak Hill rooms. Learn more about these spaces and get resources on how to teach with material culture from around the world.
(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: HSS: US History I and II; World History I and II)
 
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Professional Teacher Membership Discount

Pre-K through grade 12 teachers can receive a $30 discount on membership and enjoy all the benefits of membership. Proof of active teaching status is required to receive discount; visit any MFA ticket desk and present your school ID, letter from the principal or head on school letterhead, or current MTA card. Please note: discount is available in person only; mailed requests will not be honored.

Professional Development Points (PDPs)

Awarded through attendance at three workshops, plus submission (by the end of the school year) of a one-page summary of your follow-up work AND either a Museum visit with your students OR submission of a lesson plan.

Sponsors

Guidelines

Online registration is required, at least 24 hours before the workshop date.

There is a non-refundable processing fee of $2.50 per teacher per workshop.

For more information,
e-mail 
teacherresources@mfa.org.

Custom Workshops

Looking for professional development for your school or district? We can work with you to develop a program that best fits your curriculum needs.

For more information,
e-mail 
teacherresources@mfa.org.