Distance Learning Programs

Bring the MFA to your classroom or home school students with live, interactive programs

The MFA offers two ways for students to connect digitally with its global collection of art. Reserve an individual classroom videoconference program on a date of your choice, or join free livestreamed programs offered throughout the school year.

These live interactive programs connect students with an MFA educator to engage in discussion and activities that encourage a deeper understanding of the work of an art museum and how art connects us to the human experience, both past and present. All programs are taught live from the MFA galleries, giving students the opportunity to see original works of art while also digging deeper through additional digital content.

Individual Classroom Videoconference Programs

Students connect with an MFA educator for a 30–45 minute private session. Programs can accommodate your learning environment (in-classroom, remote, or hybrid) and individual class schedules. Maximum of one classroom (up to 30 students) per session; see further details below.

Program Offerings

Everyday Inspiration: Finding Art in Community and Place (Grades 1–5; 30 minutes)

Discover how 20th-century African American artists Allan Rohan Crite and Walter Augustus Simon and contemporary artist Rob “Problak” Gibbs found inspiration in the places and communities in which they lived and worked. Introduce students to how an artist’s style can be influenced by the environment and the people around them.

Recommended for Grades 1–5

Art of the American Revolution (Grades 3–8; 45 minutes)

Explore the art of colonial Boston. Students look at objects made during the colonial period and learn how these historic artworks tell multiple stories about race, identity, and power during the time of the American Revolution.

Recommended for Grades 3–8

Art of Ancient Egypt (Grades 3–8; 45 minutes)

Examine funerary objects found in the tomb of a governor and see how Middle Kingdom beliefs about the afterlife are represented in painting, sculpture, and hieroglyphic writing. This program also considers the archaeological history of the early 20th-century excavation in Egypt and addresses questions of how these objects came to be part of the MFA’s collection.

Recommended for Grades 3–8

Art of Ancient Greece (Grades 4–12; 45 minutes)

Examine ancient works of art depicting activities of work and play to see what these objects reveal about daily life in ancient Greece. Students look closely and make inferences about the everyday activities these artworks portray–many of which are still familiar today.

Recommended for Grades 4–12

Latin American Art (Grades 6–12; 45 minutes)

Visit the MFA’s first gallery dedicated to Latin American art of the 20th century. Through in-depth exploration, students discover what these artworks–and their creators–reveal about Latin America’s modern history and its diversity of peoples, cultures, and languages.

Recommended for Grades 6–12

Availability

Programs are offered October 3, 2022–June 9, 2023. No programming during Winter Recess (December 23–January 3), February Recess (February 20–24) and April Recess (April 17–21).

Available Mondays and Thursdays 9 am–4 pm and Fridays 9 am–1 pm, and can accommodate individual class schedules. All times ET.

Pricing

$175 per individual classroom (up to 30 students). Discounted fee of $150 per classroom when scheduling the same program topic for three or more classrooms.

Note: No charge to Boston Public Schools. Limited additional funding is available for schools with demonstrated need. Please contact distancelearning@mfa.org to inquire.

How to Book

To request an Individual Classroom Videoconference Program, please submit a request form at least 2 weeks prior to your preferred program date. Your program will be confirmed within 3–5 business days. Questions? Contact distancelearning@mfa.org.

Request a Session Today