ABSTRACT

When the pandemic temporarily closed U.S. museums in March 2020, it also halted on-site museum tours. Some museums responded by developing or expanding their virtual programs, including online tours. The author, an in-gallery docent at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, trained during the pandemic to give virtual tours. Comparing in-person with computer-mediated art museum tours, she acknowledges that virtual tours are an essential part of museum outreach and education, enabling those who are unable to travel to an art museum to strengthen their critical thinking skills and learn more about American art and culture. But she also advocates for in-person museum-going, arguing that our bodies play a key role in viewing art objects and in experiencing their spatial locations.

摘要

当大流行于 2020 年 3 月暂时关闭美国博物馆时，它也停止了现场博物馆参观。一些博物馆通过开发或扩展他们的虚拟项目来回应，包括在线参观。作者是史密森尼美国艺术博物馆的馆内讲解员，在大流行期间接受过虚拟参观培训。将亲自参观与以计算机为媒介的艺术博物馆参观进行比较，她承认虚拟参观是博物馆宣传和教育的重要组成部分，使那些无法前往艺术博物馆的人能够加强批判性思维能力并更多地了解美国艺术和文化。但她也提倡亲自去博物馆，认为我们的身体在观看艺术品和体验它们的空间位置方面起着关键作用。