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The
New Government Guidelines for Teaching, effective 2002, emphasizes the
importance of teaching art appreciation through museums. Attention has
been largely given to the need for museums and schools to cooperate. Since
1998, Miho Museum has created educational programs for children (such
as storytelling). From 1999, art lectures have been offered at outside
venues, such as schools. Although initially encountering a period of trial
and error, in 2001, Miho Museum participated in the 52nd National Conference
of Formative Expression, Arts and Crafts, and Art Education Research (in
conjunction with the Shiga Conference, or the 50th Shiga Prefectural Art
Education Research Conference) with Shiga Prefectural Modern Art Museum
and the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, by providing public classes to
teachers from all over Japan, who participated in Kusatsu City elementary
schools.  In 2002, when the New Government Guidelines for Teaching was put into
effect, Miho Museum was already offering classes to first, second, third,
and sixth graders at Ôtsu City’s public school, Ishiyama Elementary, and
at four other schools, serving as an intermediary for Ôtsu City’s NPO
group that supports art education for children. This year, these activities
continue to be carried out. The staff at Miho Museum is preparing ways
to cooperate with schools in practical and effective ways, by informing
teachers of our various programs and by incorporating their suggestions. |
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Lecture: Mysteries of Ancient
Civilizations “Discovering Cuneiforms in Assyrian Reliefs” |
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| Dating later than the Heian period (794-1185) that was being studied in
class, the students were asked to look at a large illustration of Assyrian
reliefs from Mesopotamia, dated to the 8th century B.C., around the same
time as the Japanese Jômon period (c. 10,000 to 400 B.C.). There they saw
human figures drawn on stone relief and discovered cuneiforms. After explaining
that this was a message from 2,800 years ago, the children were asked to
think about what kind of message they would like to pass on to the next
generation. |
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This class involved the introduction of Miho
Museum’s Hand Drum with Lightening in Makie, which has historical
connections to Shiga Prefecture. Through a hands-on demonstration of this
traditional Japanese instrument and a traditional Japanese music concert,
students were taught about both the instrument and the history of the area
they live in. By coming into contact with actual objects, students learn
about Japanese culture. And by understanding their own culture, we believe
these students will be better able to appreciate other cultures. |
 Photograph courtesy of Kyoto Shinbun |
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