Illustrating Interpretive Inquiry: A Reflection for Art Museum Education

Abstract Acknowledging that the purpose and form of inquiry processes can vary across and within disciplines, this article focuses on interpretive inquiry: the kind of inquiry conducted to interpret works whose reading is not “rigidly pre‐established and ordained” by a set of cultural references, but rather invite “freedom of reception” ( Eco 1989 , 6). Through comparison of two real‐life inquiries, the author shines a light on the distinctive features of interpretive inquiry. These include a web‐like meaning making process, a reliance on analogies and metaphors, and the possibility of accepting uncertainty as part of the work’s meaning. Implications for art museum education practice are explored.