Katharine Kuh and the gallery of art interpretation : a pioneer in the educational exhibits

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to trace the problems of museum learning and to apply the theory of Katherine Kuh in solving these problems. The history of museum education from 1870-1946 will be briefly illustrated. Then, the work of Katherine Kuh from 1944-1955 will be illustrated, giving her philosophy of museum education and its applications in the Gallery of Art Interpretation at the Art Institute of Chicago. Finally, the problems and the solutions to these problems will be shown, giving their applications to museums of today. The author of this paper believes that Kuh’s work, with adaptations, could be an effective solution to the problems museum education is facing today.