The following trips to area museums are a central component of the summer course.  Specific trips and activities are subject to change for logistical or scheduling reasons.

Activities

Students will:

• Practice handling museum objects and learn to assess their condition
• Explore different ways to organize exhibits and display objects through daily hands-on exercises
• Talk with professionals working in all areas of museums, from education and public relations to preservation of objects and curation of shows
• Research and present on a piece of art or historical object from the Fleming Collections
• Generate ideas for an upcoming show at the Fleming Museum

Field Trips

In addition to work at the Fleming Museum of Art, once a week the class will travel to an area museum, meet with museum professionals there, and learn about the museums’ collections and work.  Currently, the following trips are planned

• ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center.  Meet with experts in museum education and outreach and learn about how ECHO engages visitors to think about local ecology.
• Shelburne Museum.  Meet with experts in conservation of fragile historical objects and visit the conservation lab.  Students will also complete exercises while visiting different displays throughout the museum.
• Sheldon Museum.  Meet with the museum Director to learn about the Sheldon collections and how the Sheldon became a historic house museum.  A side trip to the Vermont Folklife Center will focus on how audio and video materials can enhance  the display of artistic and historical objects.
• Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.  This visit will specifically focus on how museums develop a sense of place for visitors through exhibits, public programs and other efforts.