Museums are a reflection of the humanities because they collect and curate items that teach us about the human condition in a variety of cultural settings. To complete this assignment, take the following steps:

1. Read the following article:

A History of Museums: “The Memory of Mankind” (Links to an external site.)

2. Pick any single major local museum to visit. You can get in free with your college ID at the McNay, the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Institute of Texan Cultures. All these museums also have free days for the general public should you decide to take others with you who don’t have Alamo Colleges IDs. You may choose any museum you wish, however. You MUST visit the museum in person this semester.

If you have special circumstances (including Coronavirus concerns) that would make this difficult, please let me know.  CORONAVIRUS VIRTUAL ALTERNATIVE–Take one of the virtual tours at any of the museums/collections on Google Culture at this link:

Google Culture Museums and Collections (Links to an external site.)

You must choose ONLY ONE museum, just as you would for an in-person museum trip.

3. Select any three of the values we are studying in this class (individualism, family, community, spirituality). While you are at the museum, look for exhibits or individual pieces that help you connect to the values you select. Take photos (if allowed) and notes. Including photos in your paper, either ones you take yourself or graphics from the museum’s website, is mandatory.  The photos must be integrated into the paper, not tacked on at the end or in a separate file. You may also include video or music files within the paper as appropriate.

4. Write a first-person essay of at least 1500 words to reflect on your visit to the museum and how it helped you better understand the humanities. You may address points about the history of museums in your work also, but you must connect the three values you selected to the museum itself and the pieces/exhibits you select.

5. You must use at least four class sources (including the museum article linked above, which is a mandatory source).  They can be any combination of introductory and disciplinary sources. You may also use the museum’s website for the paper as well as sites with .org or .edu domains. Ask me for approval if you are unsure about whether a site is acceptable.

Due to the very tight turnaround time for grades, I cannot grant any extensions on this assignment. If an emergency arises, contact me immediately for an Incomplete contract.

https://artsandculture.google.com/partner?hl=en