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The Museum Idea
Getting Started

The “museum idea,” according to Smithsonian curator Dennis O’Toole, is allowing students to discover “that there is much to be learned from handling and examining real things that cannot be learned from . . . any other medium.” In this issue of Art to Zoo, O’Toole offers ideas for activities before a classroom museum visit to a museum, such as a student exhibition or time capsule. Included is a student chart on museum careers.

The issue also features an article on the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and an introduction to nonrepresentational art, “What Do You Say to an Abstract Painting (After You’ve Said Hello)?”

Note: This is an archival publication dating back to 1976 and any supplements or suggestions for off-site education may not be available.

Download "Art to Zoo: The Museum Idea" (PDF).

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The Museum Idea

Art to Zoo is produced by the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies. Teachers may duplicate the materials for educational purposes.

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