Overview
The Wellin Museum welcomes K–12 school groups to engage with our exhibitions and collection. K–12 school visits are designed to encourage creative engagement with art through close looking, imaginative activities, and dialogue. These visits support all areas of learning by helping students strengthen critical skills such as observing, describing, reasoning with evidence, questioning, connecting ideas, responding, and creating.
Docents at the Wellin Museum
As a teaching museum at Hamilton College, the Wellin Museum is a site of experiential learning. K–12 school visits are led by docents, or educational guides, in collaboration with museum staff. The Wellin's docents are Hamilton College students who have a wide range of academic backgrounds and an interest in teaching, museums, and art. They provide an engaging and personable experience for K–12 students and, in turn, they gain valuable teaching experience.
Scheduling
The Wellin Museum of Art would be delighted to organize a visit for your group. During fall 2024, K–12 school visits can be arranged Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. from September 17 – November 22 and December 3 – 13. Information about spring 2025 School Visits will be available in fall 2024.
The museum can accommodate up to ninety students in one visit. Depending on the size of your group, it may be necessary to divide your students into smaller groups to accommodate everyone. Museum staff will design an itinerary that will ensure a positive learning environment for all students.
In order to accommodate as many groups as possible, we ask that all requests be made at least two weeks in advance of the intended visit date.
Use this form to request a K–12 school visit.
The Wellin Museum is free and open to everyone. Wellin Museum K–12 School Visits are free of charge.
Fall 2024 K–12 School Visit Topics
This year's School Visits will be based on the exhibition Menagerie: Animals in Art from the Wellin Museum. Topics include animals in myth, scientific and technological documentation of animals, animals and storytelling, and creating art from one's environment. All School Visits will include a hands-on artmaking component. Please feel free to indicate themes or areas that would be of interest to your class on the K-12 School Visit request form.