ArtLink Field Trips
Field Trips & Visits to FAM for Pre-K to High School Students
Looking for a fun and enriching art experience for students? Schedule a field trip to FAM! The Fresno Art Museum's School Field Trips and ArtLink sessions are the perfect field trip for children and teens to enjoy the experience of the many fascinating and wonderful exhibits that FAM has to offer! Our ArtLink program offers a variety of hands-on art activities held in our classroom combined with a guided tours by a FAM ArtLink art instructor. Older students can opt for an extended tour instead of the art activity to complete an assignment in the galleries given by their classroom teacher.
A very limited number of virtual tours* are possible for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-graders who cannot make an in-person visit. Inquire by sending an email to our education department
GENERAL MUSEUM GUIDELINES FOR IN-PERSON TOURS
- For the best possible museum experience, our tour groups are currently limited to 20 students for each group.
- Up to 60 students can tour the Museum in one visit. The 60 students would be equally divided into three groups of no more than 20 students. Tours last one hour and can be extended to add an art-making activity
- Pre-K or TK through 6th grade is limited to one teacher and/or chaperone (admitted free) for every five students, no more than 24 people. 7th to 12th grade is allowed one teacher and/or chaperone (admitted free) for every ten students, no more than 22 people. College groups may be accompanied by one teacher (teacher admitted free.) Sorry, no exceptions at this time except for special needs children. See pricing below.
- Elementary school students have the option of having a hands-on art activity, extending their visit to one-and-one-half hours. There is an additional charge of $30 for the art activity for each group of up to 15 students.
- Touchless hand sanitizer is available in multiple locations.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What grades can participate in our tours?
ArtLink and school tours are available for grades Pre-K to 6th. School tours are available for 7th to 12th-grade students and for college students. Tours and ArtLink projects are adjusted for age-appropriateness and for special needs.
How long does a tour last?
The guided tour is one hour, and the optional ArtLink tour, which includes an art workshop, is an additional one-half hour.
When are school tours scheduled?
Tours are generally scheduled for Monday to Friday between 9 am and noon before the Museum opens to the public but can be scheduled for as late as 3 pm in the afternoon for groups of 15 or fewer. Contact us for availability.
When should I book my school tour?
It is highly recommended that you book your tour early in the school year to get your preferred visit date, even for a spring visit. Our schedule fills up quickly, and there are usually very few morning time slots available after January.
What happens when I bring my class to FAM for a school tour?
During your FAM visit, students will be led by one of our Museum art instructors on a gallery tour of our current and/or permanent exhibitions and can include an optional ArtLink activity in our classroom. Our art instructors actively engage students in a creative learning experience. Each hands-on art activity is designed to provide students with a fun educational experience that allows self-expression through different art media. The activity gives each student participant an opportunity to produce a take-home piece of student artwork.
Note that high school students often do not participate in the art activity at the discretion of their teacher. If an extra half-hour visit is requested, older students can opt to spend the entire time in the Museum galleries, first experiencing a tour of the exhibitions followed by exploring the Museum on their own and writing an essay, drawing from the artwork (pencils only), or completing an assignment for their classroom teacher. The extra half-hour is billed at $30 per 15 students.
Does the school tour experience conform to State Standards and Common Core?
We strive to make each school tour and activity grade-appropriate; most address the California Visual Arts Standards. ArtLink-style tours allow the children to make connections with what they see and experience in the Museum galleries in creating their own work of art, making the whole museum experience more meaningful. Lessons incorporate many or all the seven elements of art: line, shape, form, texture, value, space, and color and often incorporate some math, science, language arts, and social studies.
How do I schedule a school tour/field trip?
Please schedule early in the school year. To schedule a school tour or an ArtLink field trip, please contact FAM Education Director Susan Yost Filgate by email with the following information:
- Name of teacher/organizer
- Name of teacher that will be accompanying the students
- School or organization name
- Complete mailing address, phone number (school and teacher cell) and e-mail address
- Date you would like for your ArtLink field trip and two alternate dates
- Time of your visit (please remember, there are not a lot of options for times between 9 am and 12:30 pm)
- Number of students and number of chaperones/teachers
- Indicate if you prefer the ArtLink art activity or extended time in the galleries for your group
- Grade level/area of study
- Any special needs for your students
- Any special emphasis for tour, such as an interest in a particular exhibition or if you are an art club, history club, or have a focus on a particular subject matter
How much does it cost?
School tour fees work out to approximately $8 per student plus an additional $2 for the art activity or extended time in the galleries; however, we do have a minimum of $120 for just a one-hour tour and an additional $30 for the art activity. That would cover up to 15 students. After 15 students, groups are billed in five-student increments, as explained below.
o Up to 20 students, one-hour tour, $160
o Up to 20 students, tour with art activity or extended supervised time in the galleries, $200
o Up to 25 students, one-hour tour, $200
o Up to 25 students, tour with art activity or extended supervised time in the galleries, $250
o Up to 30 students, one-hour tour, $240
o Up to 30 students, tour with art activity or extended supervised time in the galleries, $300
o Up to 35 students, one-hour tour, $280
o Up to 35 students, tour with art activity or extended supervised time in the galleries, $350
o Up to 40 students, one-hour tour, $320
o Up to 40 students, tour with art activity or extended supervised time in the galleries, $400
o Up to 45 students, one-hour tour, $360
o Up to 45 students, tour with art activity, or extended supervised time in the galleries, $450
o Up to 50 students, one-hour tour, $400
o Up to 50 students, tour with art activity or extended supervised time in the galleries, $500
o Up to 55 students, one-hour tour, $440
o Up to 55 students, tour with art activity or extended supervised time in the galleries, $550
o Up to 60 students, one-hour tour, $480
o Up to 60 students, tour with art activity, or extended supervised time in the galleries, $600
PLEASE note that babies, toddlers, and siblings of students should NOT accompany chaperones, even as part of the student count. Click here for information to be shared with all chaperones so that they understand their role during the tour.
When booking, please indicate the number of students and teachers/chaperones you intend to bring. Our art instructors and security are scheduled based on that number. You will be invoiced for that amount. Payment is preferred two weeks before your visit. No reimbursement will be made if the actual number of students falls below those scheduled unless the Museum is notified by email at least one week prior to the scheduled visit.
I want to schedule multiple visits during the school year. How often does the school tour change?
The Fresno Art Museum now changes most of its exhibitions in January and July of each year. (If there are exceptions to this, they will be noted under exhibition descriptions.) So your school group can experience two different exhibition cycles per school year. Please check our current and upcoming exhibitions to learn what will be on view on your chosen visit date(s). Note that the Art of the Word exhibition, which features children's book illustrators, remains on view the entire academic year. Our Art of the Ancient Americas and some of the Permanent Collection works on exhibition do not change unless they are on loan to other institutions.
How do I pay for our school tour?
Payment by check is preferred, but Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards may be used. Please be sure to provide the correct address and zip code for billing when you book your school tour. The Museum normally invoices the school six to eight weeks ahead of the tour if time permits. Payments should be made within 30 days. If a purchase order is required, please provide the purchase order number at the time of booking. Payments are preferred two weeks in advance of your visit date.
What if I need to cancel my school tour or change the date?
If you need to change the date of your school tour, please let us know as soon as possible to be sure an alternate date can be selected. If it is one week or more before your scheduled trip, there is no fee charged until a new date is confirmed.
Any cancellation made by a school representative within one week before the scheduled trip will have fees credited towards a future visit during the same school year if an alternate date is available. A 25% rebooking or cancellation fee will be charged.
If a school representative calls to cancel with less than 24 hours' notice, one-half of the total fee will be charged.
No-shows or same-day cancellations will be charged the full amount with no refunds. If the Museum cancels your trip because of government mandates or unexpected closures, any fee paid will be reimbursed if no alternative date can be scheduled.
Can we eat lunch at FAM?
Your group may choose to bring lunch or a snack to enjoy outside in FAM's Sculpture Garden, weather permitting. (Tables and chairs and grassy areas are available.) We just request that children refrain from climbing on sculptures and respect the outdoor space and use the trash recepticals. There is no charge to use the garden for lunch, but please notify us in advance if you plan to stay for lunch as occasionally our garden is booked ahead by an outside group and not available.
Can the children, teachers, and chaperones shop in The Museum Store during our visit?
Normally, there is not time to shop in the Museum Store because of bus schedules. Also, unaccompanied children are not allowed in The Museum Store. As an alternative, we have an online store. Parents and teachers are welcome to go on our store site at least 48 hours before their visit and purchase items that will be bagged and ready for pick up when your child visits. If you would like to visit our online store, go to https://fammuseumstore.shopsettings.com/
Who do I contact at the Museum to book a school tour?
Please contact Susan Yost Filgate, Education Director, preferably by email to susan@fresnoartmuseum.org
BEFORE YOUR VISIT:
All teachers planning to visit an art museum can share this great video on art museum etiquette with students. It was produced by KQED in collaboration with BAVC's youth production project, The Factory, and the de Young Museum's Teen Museum Ambassador Program in San Francisco. Click here to watch.
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION FOR CHAPERONES: Tips to help the students get the most possible benefit from their trip.
For descriptions of current Museum exhibitions, click here.
For a description of upcoming Museum exhibitions, click here.
For information, lesson plans, and more on our special third-grade program that is part of the Fresno County Any Given Child Initiative, please click here. While this is a program geared specifically for Fresno Unified School District and Sanger Unified School District, other third-grade teachers have the option to request this special tour and utilize the arts-integrated unit and lesson plans. These tours can be booked for a visit by up to 60 third-grade students at one time.
* MUSEUM SCHOOL TOURS – VIRTUAL
Note that virtual tours can be requested for elementary school students via Zoom. They are hosted by our art instructors. One-hour sessions are $150 and pre-visit and follow-up art lesson plan videos can be provided so that teachers may implement the lessons (no materials included.) Up to 20 students per virtual visit.
We have been included in the most recent article on the best field trip locations to visit in California by the international educational publisher Twinkl. Click the image below for more info:
