Pre-Recorded School Tours
Virtual Tours for Young Learners
These virtual tours provide an alternative way to connect with some of your favorite artworks when you are unable to visit the galleries in person. Enjoy them from almost anywhere!
All of the videos invite you to look closely, respond to questions in your mind or with others, and to use your imagination to draw your own pictures related to the art! Teachers and parents–we recommend previewing the videos to determine if they are a good fit for your students. These videos were created for K-5 students, but learners of all ages can enjoy them.
Feel free to invite students to watch the videos start to finish, or one artwork at a time.
Pre-recorded School Tours
African American Artist Firsts
Take a close look at four artworks and discover something about each of the featured African American artists that distinguishes them as a first! This tour is recommended for learners grades 6 and up.
Water is Life
This video invites you to look at artworks to learn about the importance of water to all living things–humans, plants and animals.
Animals in Art
Animals in Art introduces you to 8 animals and asks you to consider if each one looks more real or more imaginary to you?
Highlights of Mia’s Collection
This tour introduces young learners to 8 highlights of the museum’s collection. Watch the whole video together or encourage students to watch the individual video clips below in whatever order they choose! Be sure to have a pencil and paper on hand for a drawing activity after a discussion of each artwork.
Mini Tours
Looking for a shorter tour of Mia artworks? Browse the videos below, each dedicated to one Mia artwork. Each video is less than 5 minutes long.
Your Dog, Yoshitomo Nara, 2002
This enormous sculpture of a dog is made of fiberglass, a special type of plastic. How do you think the dog is feeling? What do you see that makes you say that?
Shrine Head, Ancient Yoruba, 12th-14th Century CE
This portrait sculpture is of a royal woman from the ancient city of Ife, located in modern-day Nigeria in west Africa. A portrait is a type of artwork that shows a person or people and tells something about them. How do you think this royal woman feels? What do you see that makes you say that?
Cradle Board Cover, Dakhóta, c.1880
This cradle board cover is decorated with the dyed quills of a porcupine, beads, ribbons, and sequins. This type of art is called quillwork, and requires a great deal of skill. How do you feel when you look at the cradle board cover? What about it makes you feel this way?
Tatra T87, Hans Ledwinka, 1878-1967
This is one of only a few cars in art museum collections. Look closely at the Tatra to see what makes it special. What do you think makes the Tatra car a highlight?
Celestial Horse, China, 25-220 CE
This sculpture of a horse is almost 2,000 years ago. How do you think the horse is feeling? What do you see that makes you say that?
Mask, Olmec, 900-300 BCE
This stone mask was made about 3,000 years ago in what is now southern Mexico. Thin red lines make designs all over the green mask. How do you think this Olmec ruler is feeling? What do you see that makes you say that?
Untitled, Beauford Delaney, 1954
This type of painting is called abstract. How do you think the artist, Beauford Delaney, felt when he made this painting? How do you feel when you look at this painting? What do you see that makes you say that?
Olive Trees, Vincent Van Gogh, 1889
This type of painting is called a landscape. How do you think Vincent Van Gogh was feeling when he painted this picture? How do you feel as you look at it?