Museum of Art and Archaeology receives state-wide accolade
Mizzou’s Museum of Art and Archaeology (MA&A), has recently been awarded the Community Champion award from the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE). This award recognizes a person or entity who has supported an arts education program in a special and meaningful way.
Each year during Fine Arts Education Week, MAAE recognizes student excellence and contributions to arts education made by teachers, administrators, school buildings, school districts, elected officials, and community members across Missouri. These honorees are recognized at the annual MAAE Fine Arts Education Day celebrations at the State Capitol each spring.
The award highlights the work of museum staff including Julie Chatman, Museum Educator, to engage with and educate visitors in a variety of ways from docent-led tours to special events – always free and open to the community.
"What a thrill for our museum to be selected for statewide recognition,” says Julie Chatman, MeD. “We know well the importance of arts education and are so pleased to be offering so many free tours to schools and community groups as well as specialty programming."
Pictured: Julie Chatman, Museum of Art & Archaeology Educator
A Storied History
MA&A was first established in the late nineteenth century as a teaching collection for students matriculating in the University of Missouri’s department of classical archaeology and history of art in Columbia. Throughout the years the MA&A’s education and docent programs have continually grown, hosting youth and adults of all ages, from elementary through college and beyond to the public.
Since the MA&A reopened its doors in May 2024, after closure due to Covid-19 and relocation back to Mizzou's campus, 16 docents have been re-trained and a partnership has been renewed with Columbia Public Schools. In total, all 16 middle schools in Columbia and their 1400+ sixth graders and 126 teachers toured the museum in just over a month’s time, from April 17 to May 22, 2024, viewing the MA&A’s extensive collection of antiquities, with special time spent on Egyptian artifacts as a pairing with the students’ recently completed social studies curriculum.
The MA&A of Today
The MA&A does not just serve MU students and faculty and Columbia’s public schools. Of the more than 240 docent-led tours given from late April 2024 through January 2025, many were for groups outside of the audiences. Also receiving free tours were preschools, regional public and private schools from a ten county area; homeschool students; senior citizens, in organized travel groups as well as those from assisted living and nursing homes; a variety of special interest groups and clubs like Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America); MAC Scholars (at-risk high school students); and the Missouri Scholars Academy, made up of gifted high school students from around the state; and classes from Columbia College and Stephens College.
Additionally, specialized tours for MU students from a variety of classes occur, coming from the chemistry, classics, theatre, and art history departments, the College of Education, and the School of Medicine (SOM), to name a few. Every other week, docents with specialized skills lead the museum’s Art in Medicine tours for residents and fellows who walk over from MU’s SOM. The tours are designed to guide the participants through thinking and visual strategies to aid them as they study to become effective physicians. A similar collaboration is just getting underway with MU’s Law School and their students.
The MA&A also offers a free Family Day at the Museum each month with activities for children and docent tours designed for younger visitors and their families. Drop in and Draw programming is available twice monthly, inviting visitors to sketch in the galleries with materials and optional instruction provided by the museum.
Mindfulness in the Museum sessions kicked off this semester with monthly get-togethers in the galleries that focus on stressbusters like breathing exercises. A partnership with MU’s Wellness Resource Center, these sessions are open to students and to the general public.
