Filling the gap : art museums and public school art education

The loss of funding for the arts in American K-12 public schools has had a major\ud impact on students and their education in the arts. Today, art museum school\ud programs have become the place in which students receive arts education. In\ud this thesis, the current state of school programs in art museums will be\ud examined, in the context of the dramatic change in arts education in schools. By\ud conducting interviews with content experts, and by reviewing literature on\ud museum education school programs, case studies of four art museums with\ud vibrant school programs will be presented. This thesis concludes that arts\ud education offered through art museums can be a viable supplement for arts\ud education in K-12 public schools if standards, resources, and the ability to serve\ud large numbers of students are considered. Finally, a set of recommendations for\ud museums in developing and operating school programs in art museums are\ud presented