College Students

“In contrast to a theoretical class discussion, students are forced to consider an issue from different perspectives when faced with the objects themselves.”

Eiko Maruko Siniawer

Associate Professor of History

“This was wonderful! The guide addressed students by name, praised their ideas, asked thought-provoking questions, and worked with their prior knowledge. Students shared their ideas. We’d love to come back!”

Grade 4 Teacher

“Nothing is more fulfilling than sharing resources with young scholars. Williams College has been responsible for training our most able museum professionals for generations.”

Carol LeWitt
Wife of conceptual artist Sol LeWitt

“”It’s one thing to see a work of art online or in a book, but it is so much more rewarding to experience art in person — to see details and textures up close, to be surrounded by it. The student programs you offer allow my students a personal experience with art.”

Grade 6-12 Art Teacher

“I have found the teachers’ workshops to be excellent precursors for the art trip to the museum, I find myself very inspired and excited after the workshops and I like brainstorming with other teachers.”

Grade 9-12 Art Teacher

“Original works of art are a constant reminder of the fluidity of the meaning of art through time. Interpretations by art professionals come and go, but the objects remain themselves, whole and indifferent to the projections and theories of their lovers.”

Michael A. Glier
Professor of Art

“The immediacy of handling a work of art can have a matchless effect. An alumnus, now a successful art dealer, told me that one day a Williams teacher handed him a Rembrandt print. Holding a piece of paper that Rembrandt himself had touched gave him an electrifying connection to the work of art that set him on the course of his career.”

E. J. Johnson
’59 Amos Lawrence Professor of Art

“Quickly look at these iconic images of our twentieth-century collective history, then cast your eyes away from the art and take a moment to reflect.”

Edward B. Burger
Professor of Mathematics

“This was my first visit and the museum is gorgeous! I especially liked the interactive portions of the visit and the exposure to the fabulous, thought-provoking artwork.”

Grade 4 Teacher

“The tour and museum proved a very approachable and interesting introduction to modern art. The interactive installations, books, and art projects on the tour were especially age-appropriate and relevant.”

Grade 3 Teacher

“The guide was fabulous with the children, honoring what they say, asking great questions that they enjoyed answering, speaking clearly and slowly, holding the book so that everyone could see, having a great project for them to do (mask-making). Thank you!”

Homeschool Parent

“Objects move us. There is nothing more thrilling than the opportunity to put together a group of objects for students to experience in conjunction with a course or to mount exhibitions that grow out of teaching. Thinking about objects in different contexts with different colleagues and students enriches how we see and think.”

Carol Ockman

Denis Meenan ’54 Third Century Professor of Art

“Working up close with a real Picasso or Cassatt painting inspires Computer Science students.  Here, they derive the algorithms and geometry of computer graphics from art with authentic cultural impact.  Science transforms lives when it exits the lab and engages our world.”

Morgan McGuire
Assistant Professor of Computer Science

“The chance to see these works first-hand was not just a novelty or supplement but an irreplaceable intellectual opportunity for the students.”

Christopher Bolton
Assistant Professor of Comparative and Japanese Literature

“The museum has a hands-on, innovative approach to viewing and experiencing art.”

Grade 9- 12 Teacher

“It was as if the student guides were early childhood educators. We would love to visit again!”

Pre-K Teacher

“The guides interacted very well with the students. They encouraged and honored all the ideas of our students and in doing so, engaged even our reluctant students.”

Grade K-5 Art Teacher

“What is especially interesting to me about teaching at Williams is that there are really no boundaries between departments. At Williams, the museum is my math laboratory.”


Satyan L. Devadoss
Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

“The tour guides are always great! We have enjoyed the student docents every year — our kids get to meet real college students at Williams — students from all over the country and the world!”

Grade K-8 Art Teacher

“The museum has touched my life in a way far deeper than supplementing any one assignment or class. The museum constantly pulled me out of the world of books, journals, essays, and lectures. Interactions with the collection have influenced my own way of looking at art more indelibly than any Williams class.”

Matthew Lincoln ’09
Museum Associate, education intern, and art history major

“Instilling a love for the object, and an intimate understanding of it, has always been the goal of Art 101-102, and the museum supports this.”

Eva Grudin
Senior Lecturer in Art

“The welcoming attitude of the museum staff has made my experience teaching with art very enjoyable.”

K. Scott Wong
James Phinney Baxter III
Professor of History and Public Affairs

“The guide provided our group with an informative and interactive experience that was intriguing and fun. The students were very engaged and will most likely remember this experience for years to come.”

Grade 4 Teacher

“Our group of all boys struggled to reflect on and express their views about the art, but the guides did a wonderful job helping them open up…For most of the students, this is their first exposure to modern art and certainly to reflect on it.”

Grade 3 Teacher

“One of the best things about teaching at Williams is having the opportunity to incorporate into my theatre courses the close study and analysis of visual works and objects drawn from the museum’s vast collection.

Amy Holzapfel
Assistant Professor of Theatre

“All of the students, whether neuroscientists or artists, found the sessions in the Rose Study Gallery to be extremely helpful in understanding the course content. They learned how to talk about a work of art from a different perspective and to appreciate their classmates’ observations.”

Betty Zimmerberg
Professor of Psychology

“Thank you Williams College for giving our students an opportunity to be exposed to this beautiful museum!”

Grade 5 Teacher