The Series of the Art Card Mie
-Teaching materials supporting art appreciation education connects schools with art museum

SHIMO Eiko

The series of Art Card Mie is a set of teaching materials supporting art appreciation education, which is based on the collection of the Mie Prefectural Art Museum. It was made in 2003 for the purpose of being used in classes of elementary schools and junior high schools as well as schools for the blind, the deaf and physically handicapped or mentally retarded children in Mie prefecture.

We have had so many group visitors from various schools that we began to think of making something so that children, students and teachers could use before they visit the museum in order to make their experiences of real art works in the museum more fruitful and familiarize them with the museum, even if they are infrequent visitors.

But in the process of making it, we had to deal with different problems such as examination of its contents and long discussions of practical application. This was an accumulation of solid sober works.

We cooperated with members of the Joyful Art Museum Society Mie (JAMM) who have supported our educational activities in the museum in various ways as well as teachers of the Mie Prefectural School for the blind. We formed an executive committee for this project together with them, financially supported by "Art Base formation Project" of the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

This series consists of six parts including "The Standard Set" in which we can appreciate art works while playing with "Art Game”, and "Hands On" in which tactile experience plays an important role. We have started to loan this series officially since April 2004. Our priority is to make it known to as many schools as possible. Now we are searching for ways to improve it through research into questionnaires from its users.