Visiting an art museum doesn't have to be a quiet, solitary experience.

So to kick-start a new museum experience, the Palmer Museum is launching a new series, Perspectives Unbound, in addition to continuing their weekly gallery talk series to involve visitors in a discussion about specific works of art.

Perspectives Unbound will feature professors from different disciplines leading discussions about exhibits on display in the museum while the weekly series discussions are led by curators.

"Most people expect museums to be quiet," said Dana Kletchka, curator of education. "During gallery talks, conversation is encouraged."

Joyce Robinson, museum curator, said the talks are presentations by curators who have researched a piece of art or time period.

Curators provide an intimate discussion where the audience can engage in conversation about the highlighted artwork, she said.

Kletchka said the gallery talks are "in-depth discussions that delve into a concept." The discussion is meant to be interactive, she added. "Each discussion is very personalized," Kletchka said. "The format is not restricted, and there isn't any set pattern."

The professors of varying disciplines will come to talk and use art as a vehicle, Kletchka said. "For example, a professor of comparative literature and Japanese will be speaking about woodblock prints and Japanese traditions."

Most people who come to Palmer don't have a chance to talk to the staff, Kletchka said. "This is a great way for us to meet people, and we consider it a way of connecting to the university population," she said.

Gallery talks, which take place in the museum at 12:10 p.m. Fridays, have been held in previous years, she said.

This is a chance for students to talk to a real person about topics they don't normally talk about, Kletchka said.

Curators research the artwork beforehand and prepare a short lecture focusing on that exhibition, Robinson said. "When you're informed, the exhibitions will be more enjoyable and more conceptually and intellectually challenging," she added.

While the talks are geared towards students, Robinson said the museum has seen many interested adults and local residents join the group. "I really enjoyed [the gallery talk]," Janelle Applequist (junior-journalism) said. "It's a great resource for students, and I would definitely recommend it."

Applequist said while she found the talk interesting, she could understand why it might be hard for students unfamiliar with art history and terminology to understand. Gallery talks and Perspectives Unbound give visitors the "inside scoop" on what goes on in the museum, Kletchka added.

An Arts and Architecture librarian will lead the next Perspectives Unbound talk at 12:10 p.m. on Nov. 2.