Farnsworth Art Museum

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning Since its founding in 1948, the Farnsworth Art Museum has held as its central mission the collection, exhibition, and interpretation of American art, with a focus on the art of Maine. In this project, the museum will develop, produce, implement, and evaluate learning tools associated with "Maine in America," the Farnsworth's collection-based permanent exhibition. These tools will strengthen and support lifelong learning opportunities for the museum's core audience. They include an audio guide with separate narrative tracks for adults and children; gallery guides for adults and children to be distributed free of charge; and Web access to collection information, including an online version of the museum's collection catalog, a 4,000-object database, and complementary interactive education pages for school use. The project goals include offering multiple opportunities for learning about Maine's role in American art; building capacity for the museum by enriching direct visitor services and information through new media; generating new sources of earned revenue through audio guide rentals, strengthening ties to the museum by broadening museum outreach, and inspiring lifelong learning through a meaningful and enjoyable museum experience.