William D. Cannon Art Gallery

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning The Three-Part-Art outreach program of the William D. Cannon Art Gallery is designed to introduce third and fourth graders from Carlsbad (in San Diego's North County) to the experience of interacting with and learning from original works of art in a museum setting. The multipronged approach of Three-Part-Art is based on the theories presented in Project MUSE (Museums Uniting with Schools in Education), Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, and inquiry-based learning methods developed by Abigail Housen and Philip Yenawine in The Virtual Classroom. The program includes (1) a curriculum guide sent to participating teachers to help them prepare their classes for a visit to the Cannon Art Gallery; (2) a tour of the exhibition with an artist/educator; and (3) a related hands-on activity, led by another artist/educator. The children learn some of the basics of the art vocabulary and, most important, they learn that museums can be welcoming places where they can experience new and exciting things. Arts education is virtually nonexistent in the public school curriculum in this region. The Three-Part-Art program offers students learning opportunities and exposure to art that most would not otherwise have.