K-12 Programs

The Nasher Museum of Art offers FREE guided gallery tours for K-12 students that address various learning styles through purposeful looking, collaborative investigation, engaging conversation, and thoughtfully planned gallery interactions. Students are encouraged to use visual evidence to construct their own interpretations about objects of art and develop critical thinking and communication skills. Tours and activities are designed to reinforce classroom objectives and promote arts integration across the curriculum.

Guided tours are available Tuesday through Friday throughout the school year. Schools may bring up to 60 students to the museum at a time. We also offer limited substitute and bus reimbursement. For groups larger than 60, our staff will work with you to schedule multiple visits. Guided tours last 90 minutes for 3rd-12th grades and 60 minutes for PreK-2nd grade. Students will engage in discussion and critical thinking while viewing five to seven artworks in multiple exhibitions.

Guided tours in Fall 2023 will all spend time in our newest exhibitions: Love & Anarchy and The Collection Galleries.

Self-guided groups or teacher led tours are welcome in all of our galleries. Teachers should preview exhibitions to assure the content in each gallery is age appropriate. Self-guided tours must be scheduled in advance.

SETTING THE SCENE
Grades: PK-8
This tour blends English language arts concepts and science as we use depictions of the natural world to explore story elements with a special emphasis on setting. This playful and interactive tour will have a special focus on artwork created with surprising materials while introducing students to historical and contemporary art in a museum setting.
Request a K-12 guided tour.

FACE OFF
Grades: 9-12
This tour applies critical thinking skills and social studies concepts as we look at how contrasting works of art can tell a story beyond the artist’s original intent. This thought-provoking tour will ask students to look at two different art pieces and compare their content and purpose. We will discuss and reflect how they relate to historic and contemporary topics.
Request a K-12 guided tour.

DOUBLE EXPOSURE: CONNECTING SCIENCE & ART AT DUKE GARDENS & THE NASHER MUSEUM
Grades: K-5
Designed for Kindergarten through 5th-grade classes, this program features guided experiences at Duke Gardens and the Nasher Museum that align with North Carolina’s art and science standards for public schools. Students will develop observation skills, practice data collecting and make connections between science and art through hands-on activities. Double Exposure is a 60- to 80-minute experience at each location plus a lunch break. Teachers receive follow-up activities to reinforce these concepts in the classroom.
Request a K-12 guided tour.

ART OF OBSERVATION
Grades: 6-12
Using art from current exhibitions, this tour allows students to work individually and in small groups to examine and evaluate their observation and communication skills. The group discusses external factors that impact observations. Students will consider how skills for looking at art is a transferrable skill to multiple disciplines, including writing and science!
Request a K-12 guided tour.

Before requesting a tour, please check the calendar below for availability. Tour times listed on the calendar are currently available for the number of students listed in parenthesis.

This calendar will be updated as often as possible, but it does not reflect a “real-time” schedule of K-12 tour reservations.

Self-guided groups or teacher led tours are welcome in all of our galleries. Teachers should preview exhibitions to assure the content in each gallery is age appropriate. Self-guided tours must be scheduled in advance.

Complete this form to schedule your self-guided visit or call 919-684-1169.