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ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE WITH ART AND IDEAS

Claire Bown Thinking Museum

HI, I’M CLAIRE BOWN

I teach people techniques to help them connect with art.

I love helping people make connections with artworks and with each other through conversation based on art and objects.

I’m a huge fan of slow looking and have developed an approach to help people engage with art and objects in museums called Visible Thinking in the Museum.

I believe art and museums are there for everyone. My mission is to share tools and techniques to help everyone to enjoy the world of art more fully, without necessarily needing recourse to any specialist, in-depth knowledge or skills.

FREE GUIDE – HOW TO LOOK AT ART SLOWLY

Sign up with your email address to receive my new 17-page guide sharing 30+ different ways that you can look at art or objects in museums. 

It can be used by anyone looking for new ways to engage with what they’re seeing.

HOW TO LOOK AT ART SLOWLY
How to Look at Art Slowly

WORK WITH ME

Ever wondered what makes the perfect art or museum-guided experience? Or what it takes to be a good facilitator of discussions about art and ideas? Perhaps you’d like to make your programmes and online sessions more interactive, participative or engaging for your audiences?

I offer a variety of courses, classes and resources for teams and individuals.

TEAMS

Choose from a selection of in-person, online, VTMO or hybrid team training options focusing on method, skills and/or coaching. 

TEAMS

INDIVIDUALS

Choose how to work with me from VTMO Beginners, Intermediate or Advanced, to self-paced classes and one-to-one sessions. 

INDIVIDUALS

LATEST PODCAST EPISODES

I publish a new podcast episode and blog every week on all aspects of engaging your audience with art and ideas – from Visible Thinking in the Museum techniques and ideas, to helping you to develop your questioning or facilitation skills and new tools to experiment with.

Art, wellbeing and connection with Heather Thomas

In Episode 92, I’m chatting to Heather Thomas, the Head of Learning and Engagement at the Lightbox Museum and Gallery in Woking, UK. Heather talks about how their Art and Wellbeing programme of creative and therapeutic workshops provides opportunities for those that would otherwise not be able to access arts and heritage services.We discuss the… Read...

3 New Thinking Routines to Try in Your Museum and Gallery Programmes

Are you tired of using the same old thinking routines in your museum and gallery programmes? Maybe it’s time to try something new? In this week’s episode, I’m sharing three exciting thinking routines that you can add to your repertoire. These routines will help you engage your audience and encourage them to think creatively about… Read...

How to Create Intellectual Comfort

Today I’m exploring the concept of creating intellectual comfort in your museum and gallery programmes.  In my (forthcoming) book Slow Looking at Art: The Visible Thinking in the Museum Approach I have a chapter dedicated to creating a collaborative culture in your museum and gallery programmes. As part of this chapter, I talk about how… Read...

Testimonials

Elisa Mosele

Elisa Mosele, English Language Teacher & Art Facilitator

“VTM and thinking routines have really changed both the way I teach and the way I help people approach a work of art. The results are outstanding “

Gabrielle Grime

Gabrielle Grime Heritage Education Officer

“Visible Thinking in the Museum is a game changer in museum education. It provides a wonderful basis from which to present programs.”

Bjorg Stefansdottir

Bjorg Stefansdottir, Director International Office, Iceland University of the Arts

“The course was in my opinion perfect – super well-organised and much more personal than I would have expected. Claire, you are a master of making things interesting!”