American Indian Fine Arts
Take a field trip to
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) located in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall. It “houses one of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of its kind. The museum’s sweeping curvilinear architecture, its indigenous landscaping, and its exhibitions, all designed in collaboration with tribes and communities from across the hemisphere, combine to give visitors from around the world the sense and spirit of Native America.”
The imagiNATIONS Activity Center
A great feature of the NMAI is the imagiNATIONS Activity Center which offers a unique hands-on experience for school groups.
Here are some great things the NMAI and the imagiNATIONS Activity Center have to offer: “Native peoples have always used the natural environments around them to meet their needs, and today many of their innovations and inventions are part of daily life for millions worldwide. Visitors to the center can explore some of these ingenious adaptations through a variety of hands-on activities: Weave a giant basket to learn about the various styles of basketry. Explore different modes of transportation like snowshoes and skateboards. Sit inside a full-sized tipi and learn about the buffalo. And stamp your imagiNATIONS passport with real tribal seals as you journey through the center. Even the homes where Native people lived show how they adapted to their environments! Visitors can find out how as they wander through an Amazonian stilt house, see what makes a Pueblo adobe house special, or learn how a Comanche tipi is built.” Students “can also learn about Ross and Cascade, Native kids who wear various styles of clothes for the different modern and traditional roles they play. Additionally, the activity center offers stories about Native cultures or by Native authors, available for reading in the center’s story room. The craft room offers visitors the opportunity to create art projects and take them home. Our newest activities include a kayak balancing game and our Native Beats Music Room, where kids can explore music through Native percussion instruments.” Students can even participate in a competitive quiz show testing their knowledge of Native history, culture, and customs! |
Location and Contact Information:
Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC Phone: 202-633-1000 TTY: 202-633-5285 Email: [email protected] Hours & Admission: Open 10 AM–5:30 PM daily The imagiNATIONS Activity Center begins to close at 5 PM Admission is free! Information for School Group Visits & Tours:School
groups planning to visit the NMAI in Washington, D.C, are strongly encouraged
to schedule visits in advance by contacting the NMAI's Group Reservations
Office. If you do not schedule a tour, your school group will have to join the
general entry line at any time during the day to enter the museum.
School groups are required to have one adult chaperon for every ten students. Chaperons must supervise and remain with their groups at all times and in all areas, including the museum stores. If a class is divided because of limited gallery space, a chaperon must accompany each group. Only ten students are allowed in the museum stores at one time. The NMAI reserves the right to refuse or terminate a program that is inadequately supervised or that fails to conform to standards of good behavior. (So mind your manners and follow the rules just like at school! Remember, you are representing the whole school community, so represent us well.) |
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