"Among many collaborations, the exhibition 'Beyond Mammy, Jezebel, & Sapphire: Reclaiming Images of Black Women' immediately became one of our most meaningful projects, because it centered Black women in resistive, generative, and unprecedented ways. Interdisciplinary engagements with the arts, such as this one, can encourage complex, intersectional discussions that foster diversity and inclusion for our community."

- Heidi R. Lewis, Associate Professor of Feminist and Gender Studies

A Mission to Support and Enhance Teaching and Learning

As a community of scholars and learners, Colorado College continually seeks to develop active, collaborative forms of learning that augment the opportunities for deep engagement afforded by the Block Plan. To nurture innovative teaching strategies at the College, the Fine Arts Center Museum is committed to providing faculty with personalized support to develop innovative approaches to teaching using the Museum's resources. The Museum engages with the curriculum in all divisions through a vibrant program of exhibitions, class visits, skill-building exercises, museum-based courses, student assistantships, and faculty workshops.

Steps for planning a class visit to the FAC:

Visit the Fine Arts Center Canvas Page for more information about course visit and collaboration planning resources. Be mindful of the lead time needed for projects and requests -- the FAC is a working museum and last minute arrangements may not be possible. 

Guiding Principles:

• The development of visual literacy and observational skills are essential components of a liberal arts education; these abilities support and enhance learning across disciplines;
• Working with original artworks and cultural objects within the Museum complements the ways in which students work with primary sources in other disciplines, such as laboratory experiments, field work, and textual analysis;
• Experiences within the Museum can provide safe spaces for intellectual risk-taking and personal growth, and offers new ways to engage all students - even those who rarely participate in classroom discussions;
• Facilitated encounters with original works of art enhance creative and critical thinking by inviting students to reframe their understanding of a subject or apply prior knowledge to a new situation.

Scheduling Class Visits: Facilitated visits and self guided visits

Facilitated Class Visits

Classes can be designed to fit the needs of your course and can be facilitated in our galleries and/or collections classroom.

• Gallery Class Visits: Work with specific objects, permanent or special exhibitions, or entice exploration through the galleries.  
• Collections Class Visits: Collections class visits allow for students to work directly with objects not on display in the museum, get a glimpse into the record systems, and explore behind the scenes of museum work.  

The FAC also offers space for day-by-day reservation. If you are bringing your class for a visit, consider reserving FAC 256, a multi-use classroom space equipped with a projector, screen, audio, whiteboard, and moveable tables. 

Self-Guided Class Visits

If you would like to guide your class through the space without support from the museum staff, you are welcome to come to the museum on a drop-in basis during regular open hours. Our current open hours are: 

If you are interested in bringing your class to the Museum and/or reserving classroom space, please contact Alie Ehrensaft at aehrensaft@coloradocollege.edu.