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Planning Your Visit

Please review the class scheduling information below and see our tips for selecting objects as well as ideas and inspiration from other faculty.

How to Schedule a Class Visit to the Art Museum or the Skinner Museum

We ask that all visits to the Art Museum and Skinner Museum be scheduled through a staff member, and we invite you to arrange an initial planning meeting to discuss your ideas and goals. The better we understand your teaching objectives and specific course content, the more helpful we can be in customizing your museum visit.

To better serve you and to give us time to make all necessary preparations, we ask that you contact us at least 3-4 weeks in advance to arrange your museum visit. Due to high demand, we reserve our Teaching Spaces—the gallery spaces and our classroom, the Carson Teaching Gallery—on a first-come, first-served basis. The classroom is often booked a semester in advance, especially for classes visiting multiple times throughout the semester and for popular afternoon seminar times.

When you are ready to reserve a date for your visit, please email the following information to Ellen Alvord, Associate Director for Engagement and Weatherbie Curator of Academic Programs, at ealvord@mtholyoke.edu:

  • Department, course number, and course title
  • Estimated number of students in class
  • Preferred options for date and time of visit
  • ​Preferred meeting space, including classroom and/or specific galleries
  • If known, topic or theme related to your museum visit
  • If known, objects or types of objects you would like to request (see tips for selecting objects)
  • Possible date(s) for a planning meeting with Museum staff

Museum Guidelines for Your Class Visit

Please review the Museum Guidelines in advance of your visit. We ask that no food, drink, large bags, or pens be brought into the Museum. We provide pencils should your students need them. We also suggest that you share these guidelines with your students in advance of your visit. The pdf can be uploaded to your Moodle class management site or sent directly to students prior to their Museum visit.