School Tours
Led by Museum docents and/or educators for 30 minutes or one hour, interactive tours of the Museum are available for visitors from pre-school age through college. Tour themes may be selected from those listed below, or the Museum Education staff will collaborate with school educators to tailor a theme for specific curriculum, grade level, and needs of the group. Core Curriculum Standards of New Jersey were consulted in the development of tours and school programs. Groups may also tour the Museum on their own, but reservations are required and the same guidelines apply.
Please make reservations 5-6 weeks in advance.
*All tours are adaptable and appropriate for grades 2 - Adult
Current Special Exhibition
See something new. Tour our current exhibitions with a knowledgeable guide.
Using Your Senses
Use your five senses to explore and discuss works of art in the Museum galleries.
Looking at Portraits
Who is that person in the painting? What clues did the artist give us about their personality? Why was this painting created? How do we capture the likeness and character of a person today? Compare portraits by American artists from the 18th century (colonial) through the 21th century to discover the answers.
Shifting Landscape
Featuring works from several areas of the Museum’s collection, this tour explores the various approaches and media that artists have utilized to represent the evolving American landscape.
Native American Art
Explore and learn about the rich cultural history of Native Americans by examining artifacts, tools, clothing, and ceremonial objects. Customized tours are also available. They may include Family and Community, Environment and Natural Resources, Symbols and Patterns, and/or European Influences.
Sculpture: Movement and Form
See how artists use form and movement to create dynamic three-dimensional works of art.
Modern Viewpoints
Explore the Museum’s special exhibitions and collection of modern and contemporary art. Look at works by Man Ray, Nevelson, O’Keeffe and Warhol. Discover how technology and social change inspired artists of the 20th and 21st centuries to experiment with different forms of abstraction.
Weather, Season, Time, and Place
Explore landscapes and learn how color, line and shape have been creatively used to convey weather conditions, seasons, and times of day.
Art Stories
Come to hear, see, and read the stories art can tell as we look at and interpret narrative works of art together.
Program Formats
KIDZART (Pre-school – 1st Grade)
A one-hour program for young visitors in pre-school through 1st grade. Half an hour is devoted to an art appreciation discussion about Museum artworks. The second half of this hour program consists of a focused art-making activity that directly relates to concepts discussed in the gallery. Themes include: People in Art, Places in Art, Native Americans, Using Your Senses, and Color, Line, and Shape. Students learn how to express ideas and feelings through new vocabulary words and artistic expressions. Questions are answered and ideas will be shared from the children’s perspectives.
• Reservations are required one month in advance of Museum visit date.
• This program is available Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Limit: Maximum 50 students at one time, 1 adult per 10 students required, no more than 6 adults total.
GALLERY/STUDIO (2nd Grade – Adult)
A related art-making activity in the Museum’s art studios is available to complement tour discussions for any theme listed above. Designed for students in grade 2 through grade 12, the workshop enhances and reinforces concepts learned through discussions in the galleries. The tour and studio activities combine for an engaging and interactive two-hour experience at the Montclair Art Museum.
OPTIONAL GALLERY ACTIVITY (2nd Grade – Adult)
Writing or sketching activities in the Museum galleries are available to complement tour discussions for any theme. If you are interested in a gallery activity for your group, you must specify when scheduling. The gallery activity lasts for approximately half an hour in addition to the tour. All materials are provided by the Museum.
Booking a Program
• To schedule a tour or for additional information, please contact Tour Booking Coordinator at 973-259-5136 or email bbalsimelli@montclairartmuseum.org
• The Museum also works with educators to design Professional Development Workshops tailored for specific needs.
Homeschool Days
Designed for children who are homeschooled, these two-hour programs include tours, gallery activities, and studio art projects. Programs meet noon–2 p.m. Fees: $6 per child, Adults are free with Museum admission; free for adult Members.
For more information on our school programs, as well as the many other events and public programs offered at the Museum, please visit our website at montclairartmuseum.org.
The Montclair Art Museum is dedicated to creating a fun, enriching, and engaging learning environment for visitors of all ages. Art is an integral part of all our lives and the Museum strives to foster appreciation for art in all its varied forms. We invite you to explore the resources available in the Museum's collection of American and Native American art through interactive activities.
During a school visit to the Museum, students will carefully examine art, learn to articulate their ideas using critical thinking skills, take part in discussions, connect what they learn to the classroom, and discover how art is relevant to their lives. Learning by doing is central to art education and the Museum's numerous approaches allow students of varying age levels to engage in hands-on experiences involving artistic processes.
