Home School Programs Information and Policies

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact MFA Artful Adventures staff at artfuladventures@mfa.org.

Please also review the Museum’s Ticketing Policies.

Tickets

There are three different age groups in the Artful Adventures Home School program: 6-9 years, 10-12 years, and teens. Class topics and art-making activities are different for each age group and class session.

Four-week class packages cost $60 for members and $100 for nonmembers.

Home School class discounts for members begin at the Friends and Family level. Log in to your account then choose your class. The member rate will be available for you to select on purchase.

All class tickets include general admission to the MFA for the student and one accompanying grown-up.

Class tickets include general admission to the MFA for the student and one accompanying grown-up. All additional family members and siblings not participating in the class will also need a ticket for entry into the Museum. Additional tickets may be purchased upon arrival at the Huntington Avenue entrance admissions desk.

Due to reduced capacity in all of our studio spaces, Artful Adventures Home School classes are drop-off only. Additional grown-ups and siblings are welcome to explore the Museum after first checking in with an MFA staff member in the Druker Family Pavilion. Parents may not remain in the classroom.

Pre-registration is required for each child participating in Artful Adventures Home School classes—tickets need to be purchased online in advance. We do not offer day-of ticket sales at the Museum.

Each four-session ticket package must be purchased in advance and is only available for sale online until noon on the Monday before the first class.

During the registration period, the MFA may cancel classes due to low enrollment. We will do our best to switch students into similar classes or offer a refund. Students will be notified at least 24 hours prior to the class start date if their class is under-enrolled.

MFA Artful Adventures staff will contact families by e-mail and voicemail as far in advance as possible about class cancellations due to inclement weather. In general, Artful Adventures Home School classes will be cancelled if Boston Public Schools announces a closure.

We regret that there is no makeup or refund for classes and workshops cancelled due to inclement weather.

Refunds are given only if the class is cancelled by the MFA for reasons unrelated to inclement weather.

We do not offer make-up classes for students who need to miss a class.

We regret that there is no makeup, refund, or rescheduling for classes missed by a child. Refunds are given only if the class is cancelled by the MFA for reasons unrelated to inclement weather.

Planning

Visitors to the MFA have three self-parking options: the Huntington Lot, the Fenway Lot, and the Museum Road Garage, all of which have entrances on Museum Road. All parking facilities have handicap spaces. Museum members are entitled to a parking discount.

Entrance

Please enter through the Huntington Avenue Entrance.

Meeting Location

Parents and guardians of students ages 6-11 are expected to escort their students to the Education Center in the Druker Family Pavilion and pick up at the end of class. 

Due to reduced capacity in all of our studio spaces Artful Adventures Home School classes are drop-off only. Parents may not remain in the classroom.

Teen Self-Dismissal

All children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older in the Museum. Students age 12 and above may self-dismiss.

Class Times

Check-in starts at 10:00 am. Please check-in with MFA Home School staff in the Education Center in the Druker Family Pavilion and then meet your instructors in the classroom. We offer a related pre-tour activity from 10:00-10:30 am for families that arrive early. Class programming begins promptly at 10:30 am and ends at 12:30 pm.

Masks

Recommended (2) masks, marked with the student’s name

Water Bottle

Water fountains are available on site to refill water bottles.

For Kids and Teen Students

Smock or shirt that can get messy.

Each student will be given their own kit of supplies to use during all sessions within the class package to reduce cross-contamination by sharing supplies. Kids and teen students do not need to provide their own supplies.

To inform the Artful Adventures Home School program of any access needs, please e-mail artfuladventures@mfa.org.

Wheelchair Accessibility

Manual wheelchairs are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at all entrances. The MFA also welcomes your personal walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters. All galleries in the Museum are wheelchair accessible.

Personal care attendants are welcome to accompany the student for the duration of class and are admitted free of charge. Assistive-listening devices are available upon request.

For more information about Accessibility, e-mail access@mfa.org or call 617-369-3189 or TTY 617-369-3393.

All children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older while in the Museum. As such, children under the age of 12 who are enrolled in an Artful Adventures Home School class must be released to an adult 18 or older.

Students ages 12 and above are permitted to self-dismiss.

On-Site Accommodations

The number of students in each class has been reduced, to allow for six feet of social distancing. For most classes there is a maximum of twenty students plus two instructors.

Classrooms have been rearranged and remodeled for social distancing. Due to limited space and capacity, we strongly advise against bringing unnecessary items, i.e. toys from home. Studio classrooms have been inspected by our facilities team, who installed HVAC filter upgrades as needed.

The studio classrooms and Museum undergo a rigorous nightly cleaning using all CDC recommended cleaning products. The Museum has installed hand-sanitizing stations at regular intervals throughout the Museum, including near the studio classrooms.

Hand washing is required when:

  • Entering the studio classroom
  • Before and after meals
  • After sneezing, coughing, or nose blowing
  • After toileting
  • After touching shared surfaces that may be contaminated

Face coverings are no longer required, but are recommended indoors.

Phone

We will reach out by phone only in time-sensitive circumstances; in most other cases, we will reach out by e-mail.

In the event a student begins to exhibit COVID-19 symptoms, they will be required to leave the program immediately. MFA Home School administrative staff will help arrange for immediate pick-up for minors by contacting parents/guardians or an emergency contact by phone.

Students are expected to behave in conformity with the rules and regulations of the Museum. In the event their behavior is detrimental to the program, parents and guardians of minors will be contacted by phone for immediate removal from the program.

E-Mail

E-mail is the quickest and most consistent way to reach us at artfuladventures@mfa.org. E-mail is our primary form of communication, and how we will share COVID-19 reports as necessary, request health forms, and send program reminders. The e-mail address used to register for the class is the e-mail address we will pull for all communications. Please also ensure e-mails from artfuladventures@mfa.org are designated as “important” in your inbox, and are not misdirected to spam / junk / promotions.

We will e-mail students as soon as possible if any student or staff has been exposed with a confirmed or presumptive case of COVID-19 during the session. We do not disclose employee or student health information when no exposures have occurred.

If a current student or staff is reported to test positive for COVID-19 and is symptomatic while onsite, those within their class or who may have come in contact will be notified via e-mail as soon as possible. If the student has been with their class within two days before or after they have tested positive the entire group will be notified to quarantine for 14 days since their exposure.

We appreciate your prompt and open communication with program administration relating to positive COVID-19 cases in their circle by contacting the program directly at 617-369-3303 or artfuladventures@mfa.org.

Provisions

Students shall behave in conformity with the rules and regulations of the MFA, and in the event that their behavior is detrimental to the program, understand that the MFA has the right to end the student’s participation in the program immediately. In the case of gross misconduct, illness, or accident, no refund will be made. Although the MFA maintains the highest safety standards, the Museum does not assume liability for accidents, illness, or disease.

Zero Tolerance Violations

Students may be subject to immediate expulsion from the Artful Adventures Home School Program for the following reasons:

  • Minors requiring excessive 1:1 attention that takes away from the supervision and therefore safety of others.
  • Physically harming themselves and/or assaulting an individual
  • Intentional and repeat disobedience of Gallery Rules, and/or defacing or destroying Museum or personal property.
  • Using threats, harassment, intimidation, coercion, fear, or other comparable conduct toward anyone or urging other students to engage in such conduct with the intent to cause bodily harm
  • Bullying, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, stalking
  • Disrespectful behavior and harassment based upon an individual's sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion or any other legally protected characteristics will not be tolerated
  • Using, possessing, distributing, purchasing, or selling alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. Students who are under the influence are not permitted to attend Studio Art Classes and are treated as though they had alcohol or drugs in their possession.
  • Defacing or destroying Museum or personal property
  • Theft of Museum or personal property
  • Lighting fires or smoking indoors/vaping
  • Possession, controlling, or transferring a weapon or any other dangerous devices
  • Pulling the fire alarm device or contacting Protective Services unnecessarily
  • Exhibiting other behaviors which may endanger the health and safety of others or the good order of the Museum
  • Involvement in gangs or gang-related activities, including the display of gang symbols or paraphernalia

Based on the seriousness of the offense, the incident may be reported to authorities at the discretion of the MFA’s Protective Services staff.

Registration in Artful Adventures Home School Classes automatically authorizes the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to photograph, film, videotape and/or record students’ voice and likeness to use, reproduce and distribute in any media for the purpose of promoting programs presented by the MFA, and other educational purposes. The resulting photo, film, videotape, or recording shall be the sole property of the MFA. The MFA is under no obligation to use or publish this material. Students will receive no fee or payment for being photographed, filmed, videotaped, or recorded. Registration in Artful Adventures Home School Classes automatically grants the MFA a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use a student’s image, name, voice, and likeness for all standard Museum purposes including, but not limited to, promotional material for the MFA and its programs and exhibitions, publications, educational programs, archival purposes, and public relations purposes.

In no event shall MFA Artful Adventures Home School program, or any of its managers, employees, studio instructors, administrative assistants, be liable (jointly or severally) to a student for personal injury or any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages of any kind, or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss, whether or not advised of the possibility of damage, and on any theory of liability, arising out of or in connection with an MFA Artful Adventures Home School class program.

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a result, federal, state, and local governments and federal and state health agencies recommend social distancing and have, in many locations, prohibited the congregation of groups of people.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (“the MFA”) has put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, the MFA cannot guarantee that you will not become infected with COVID-19. Further, attending the MFA, participating in MFA-led classes, tours or programs could increase your risk of contracting COVID-19.

By enrolling in a Studio Art class at the MFA, you acknowledge the contagious nature of COVID-19 and voluntarily assume the risk that you may be exposed to or infected by COVID-19 by attending the MFA and that such exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, and death.

You understand that the risk of becoming exposed to or infected by COVID-19 at the MFA may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of yourself and others, including, but not limited to, MFA employees, other students, vendors or affiliates and their families.

You voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to yourself (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that you may experience or incur in connection with your attendance at the Museum or participation in Museum programs.

On your behalf, you hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless the MFA, its employees, agents, and representatives, of and from the MFA, including all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto.

You understand and agree that this release includes any Claims based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of the MFA, its employees, agents, and representatives, whether a COVID-19 infection occurs before, during, or after participation in any MFA programs.

All students attending MFA Artful Adventures Home School classes are expected to practice full independence of their toileting including their personal hygiene, to self-manage undressing/dressing as well as follow proper sanitary procedures. Staff are not permitted to assist students in any way while in the restroom. The MFA supports the privacy and inclusion of our students, including those with healthcare needs; therefore, if a student needs assistance in the restroom, the primary care provider/guardian must provide a one-to-one aid. Personal care attendants and care providers are admitted to the Museum free of charge. In the unlikely event that students may wet and soil themselves, we ask that the primary care provider/guardian provide an extra set of clothes and expect that the student be able to change themselves without the assistance of staff. When a student is unable to carry out personal care needs themselves, the primary care provider/guardian will be notified to assist. No student will be subjected to embarrassment or punished as a result. A student may not be accepted into the program and/or may be subject to leave the program if additional toileting support is required and different to the practices and procedures as outlined above.

The MFA takes great care to ensure a safe and constructive learning environment, however the MFA is not responsible for lost or stolen student valuables. Backpacks, book bags, duffel bags, suit cases, and any other bags larger than 11 x 15 inches are not allowed in the Museum's gallery spaces. Bags containing medical supplies and/or diaper bags are allowed and should be marked with a yellow tag upon entry. Please carry these items at your side or in your hand.

Meet the Museum Educators

Our instructors are a group of experienced educators and artists coming from a variety of places and perspectives.

Learn more about the Museum Educators who lead Artful Adventures tours and drop-in art making for visitors of all ages.

Contact Home School Programs

artfuladventures@mfa.org