How to Learn More About Art
Part Three: Art Museum Web Sites

You've looked through a few art books, watched hours of art videos, and you still want more ways to learn about art? You must really be a masochist! Well, the next logical resource would be the Internet. But, type in the word "art" or "museum" in your favorite search engine, and you'll soon be in information overload.

Some museum sites offer only the briefest amount of information or are difficult to navigate. After reviewing many sites, we chose the following because of their content, organization, and user-friendliness. And most important--you can actually learn something.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The new web site of the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a section called "Explore and Learn." In this section the viewer can read art facts, engage in art activities, explore a work of art, learn about an artist, and study a theme or culture.

"The Collection" site lets you explore 3,500 art objects in the museum's vast collection. You have the option of viewing the museum director's choices (yawn) or, be creative and select your favorites from the entire collection and create your own private gallery. The site also lets you keep up-to-date with news about the museum's latest acquisitions. Also available is the Met's incredibly thorough Online Resources. The "Art-Related Links" correlate with the museum's many departments.

National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art's web site provides online tours through a variety of ways. You can embark on a tour of a specific collection, have an in-depth explanation of an artist or a particular work of art, take an architecture tour of the East Building, or even experience a virtual exhibition tour. This site is filled with information that takes full advantage of what the Internet has to offer!

Be sure to visit the web site of your favorite museum. You may be surprised at how much you can learn.