Discovery Days
Discovery Days offer students an interactive way to explore art beyond a traditional tour. At learning stations throughout the museum, students participate in grade-level activities that spark curiosity and encourage discovery. They can choose which stations to visit, engaging with art through touch, sight, sound, and movement. These activities help students make meaningful connections with art and cultures from around the world.
Teaching artists and studio assistants lead artmaking sessions in Mia’s studios, where students practice art skills and explore creative ideas inspired by global cultures.
Mia offers two Discovery Day themes:
Arts of Africa, the Americas, China, and Japan
Students explore artworks and cultures from across the world through discovery stations and in galleries on the museum’s second floor.
Arts of Exploration, Fashion, Minnesota History, and Modern Life (Starting in February)
Students investigate themes such as the Age of Exploration (1600s), European and American fashion in the 1700s, life and art in early Minnesota, and modern art and photography through discovery stations and in galleries on the museum’s third floor.
Both experiences include an artmaking station in Mia’s studios and are recommended for grades 3–6.
Scheduling Information
School groups must register in advance for sessions at 10 or 11 a.m.
Mia members and the public may drop in anytime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Discovery Days.
Beginning in February, Discovery Days will alternate between the second- and third-floor experiences. When registering, please look carefully at the Google form to make sure that the date you select matches the floor and theme you’d like your students to experience.