DESCRIPTION: Students become the cruators and enter into a group discussion to determine whether or not the Walker Art Center will retain an artwork in the permanent collection.

OBJECTIVES: This activity empowers the students to make decisions. It also helps illuminate the conflict about who makes the decisions when choosing an artwork.

PROCEDURE: We are going to imagine that we are all at a meeting to decide whether or not we will keep a specific artwork in our collection. (Choose an artwork to discuss or have a student choose their favorite or least favorite work.) Who likes this work? Who doesn't like it? Now, I would like one of you to defend the artwork's importance to our collection and another student to refute it. (You may need to assign the positions to two students.) As you make your arguments be sure to describe the work, analyze the work and interpret it. (Provide information as appropriate.)

After hearing the arguments: What was the basis for your arguments? (Broaden the discussion by posing questions such as: Should these two students get to decide whether or not the museum should keep the artwork? Who should decide? Should the community, museum, or government decide? Why? (This activity is intended to provoke discussion. It is your job to encourage and moderate that discussion.)

MINNESOTA GRADUATION STANDARDS:
(1) Read, View, Listen
(2) Write and Speak
(3) Literature and the Arts

Age level: Grades 9 and up.
Artworks used: Paintings and sculptures in a limited space in the exhibition.
Props needed: No props needed.
Related to Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: No
Notes: Use at the end of the tour.


© 1998 WALKER ART CENTER