Albany Museum of Art Field Trips Are Free to Schools
Schools Are Already Scheduling Museum Visits for This Fall
With new exhibitions opening on Sept 4, the Albany Museum of Art reminds educators that they can schedule free field trips to the museum.
“Art inspires, and the positive experience of it is essential to life,” AMA Executive Director Andrew James Wulf, Ph.D., said. “Young children learn how to communicate and express themselves using art. Art fosters critical-thinking skills and challenges us to consider new ideas and different perspectives, and it is an essential component of a well-rounded education. We hope schools will take advantage of this opportunity to enrich their students’ education.”
This fall, the field trips will incorporate one or more of three exhibitions: Echoes of the Past, with African art spanning three galleries; A Legacy Built with Nature: Menaboni at 130, featuring works by renowned bird and nature artist Athos Menaboni, and Framing Time, featuring photography from the AMA’s permanent collection.
The free field trips, funded through generous donations made during the Wayne & Alicia Gregory Family Foundation Paddle Raise at the AMA’s annual Art Ball, are a cost-effective way for schools to provide students with art experiences in a time when their budgets are continually being squeezed.
Based on data collected from 2001 to 2018, a National Endowment for the Arts report earlier this year titled Snapshots of Arts Education in Childhood and Adolescence: Access and Outcomes found that:
At-home arts engagement of toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners was positively correlated with a variety of social-emotional attributes and cognitive outcomes.
Participation in out-of-school arts activities was positively correlated with many social-emotional attributes and academic outcomes for children from kindergarten through 5th grade.
Among high schoolers, arts participation was positively correlated with social-emotional attributes during 9th grade, while arts course completion was linked with greater academic achievement, high school graduation, and post-graduation outcomes.
“The benefits that exposure to visual art and other arts have are clear,” Director of Education and Public Programming Annie Van Oteghem said. “It helps children and youth perform better in school and helps prepare them for their futures in whatever careers they pursue.”
Van Oteghem said schools are already scheduling visits for their classes.
“We have had an outstanding amount of interest, and quite a few dates are locked in,” she said. “The calendar is filling up pretty quickly.”
School officials and teachers can schedule AMA field trips HERE. General information about field trips and a link to schedule can be found HERE.
“The AMA webpage also has resource information such as things you need to know before your visit, chaperone guidelines, and answers to frequently asked questions,” Van Oteghem said. “Teachers can also download the field trip packet.”
Field trips at the AMA are conducted Tuesdays through Fridays and include a gallery tour, discussion, and an art project. The visit typically is two hours long. The earliest start time is 10 am (with students’ arrival at 9:45 am) and the latest start time is 2:30 pm.
Teachers or school officials with questions can email Van Oteghem HERE or call her at 229.439.8400.
UPCOMING AMA EXHIBITIONS
- Echoes of the Past, is Sept 4, 2025-Jan 3, 2026 in the Haley, East, and Hodges Galleries.
- A Legacy Built with Nature: Menaboni at 130 is Sept 4, 2025-Jan 3, 2026 in the McCormack Gallery.
- Framing Time: 20th and 21st Century Photography from the Permanent Collection is Sept 4-Nov 1, 2025, in the West Gallery.
- The 2nd Annual Southwest Georgia Juried Student Art Exhibition is Nov 15, 2025-Jan 3, 2026 in the West Gallery.
ABOUT THE ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART
The Albany Museum of Art is located at 311 Meadowlark Drive in Albany, Ga., adjacent to Albany State University West Campus just off Gillionville Road. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Albany Museum of Art is open to the public 10 am-5 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is free.
For more information about the AMA please visit our website, www.albanymuseum.com, or call 229.439.8400. Be sure to follow AlbanyMuseumOfArt on Facebook and AlbanyMuseum on Instagram.