Museum of Art
2021 W. Riverside Ave.
Ball State University
Muncie , IN 47306

Hours: Monday–Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday–Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Phone: 765-285-5242
Fax: 765-285-4003
E-mail: artmuseum@bsu.edu

Why Bring a Class to the Museum?

Leaving the Port of Le Havre, 1883
Eugene-Louis Boudin
Frank C. Ball Collection, partial gift and
promised gift of the Ball Brothers Foundation
With approximately 2,000 works of art on display and 11,000 works total in the collection, the David Owsley Museum of Art offers a rich resource that can enhance a variety of class subjects. Because of the collection's breadth--with a concentration on European and American art and representations of most major world cultures--the museum can provide a variety of tours for school and university classes. Over the past several years, university classes in architecture, art, classics, education, English, foreign languages, history, humanities, math, music, speech, and theater have visited the museum for tours, as well as area school students of all ages studying language arts, social studies, science, and art.

What Do We Do When We Get There?

A typical museum visit provides students with an in-depth analytical discussion inspired by works of art in the collection. Using a teaching technique designed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, museum staff and trained student volunteers lead discussions using the topic of your class as a catalyst. Designed for beginner and novice viewers, these discussions focus on what can be discerned in the work of art and how it illuminates the class topic. This technique also enhances analytical and critical-thinking skills.