Dear Faculty,

The top priority of the BYU Museum of Art is to make our exhibitions and permanent collection accessible and relevant to the students and faculty on campus. The “Civ at the MOA” resource supports both the Aims of a BYU Education and helps meet/fulfill the General Education University Core. The Core Criteria for Civilization courses requires students to engage in a considered and disciplined exploration of important questions and themes explored throughout the history of human cultures through confrontation with individual works. In doing this students are expected to understand the power and worth of individual works and their connection to the development of human civilization.

The BYU Museum of Art provides students with the unique opportunity to come face-to-face with original works of art that were actually crafted and handled by figures they are learning about in the classroom. Individual encounters with these objects allow students to explore and internalize concepts in a corporeal way unavailable inside the traditional classroom. We have found that these experiences foster real learning that leads to fascination, curiosity, and further critical inquiry.

This website allows BYU faculty to explore the MOA’s permanent collection by time period, location, and themes that are pertinent to the Civilization curriculum. By exploring the contextual information, faculty commentary, and curricular resources provided, faculty can be better equipped to utilize original artworks as a means of introducing or reinforcing critical concepts integral to student development. Discussion questions and writing prompts give students the opportunity to learn from each other and synthesize information already presented in their classes.

We hope that this valuable resource can help provide a powerful educational experience for your students that is truly unique to BYU.

Sincerely,

Mark Allen Magleby
Emeritus Director, Museum of Art
Brigham Young University