I’ve long been an advocate for the value of arts and humanities, and seeing art first-hand, in-person, is a powerful experience. In fact, enjoying the exhibits in any of the many wonderful cultural institutions is uplifting and broadening. But until we can safely resume visits to galleries and museums again, many institutions around the country are offering fabulous virtual tours. I’ve listed just a few below:
I’m quite partial to the many museums here in Washington, D.C. Great samples of these virtual offerings include:
- The National Gallery of Art is featuring two online exhibits in collaboration with Google—an exhibit of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, and a collection of work by Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.
- The National Museum of Natural History, a local favorite for families (dinosaurs!), allows online visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits, and provides access to some past exhibits no longer on display.
- The National Portrait Gallery is offering several online exhibitions, including an abridged virtual tour of the Portrait Gallery’s acclaimed exhibition, "Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence," exhibit which delves into the history of women’s suffrage.
- Explore, learn and engage with the National Museum of African American History and Culture through their numerous digital resources.
- And last, but certainly not least, the Cooper Hewitt museum in New York City has a host of free, online activities to enjoy—including a digital mansion tour where you can wander the rooms of the Carnegie Mansion, or for kids, you may be interested in their virtual field trips.
If you’ve enjoyed a virtual museum experience recently, I’d love to hear from you in the comments of this discussion thread.
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David Skorton
President/CEO
Association of American Medical Colleges
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