With their keen powers of observation, Carrie Zenti's museum detectives searched for clues of artistic expression among the works of the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.

The detectives, ranging in age from five to ten, meet once a week after school on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons to examine in more detail the art in the current exhibition. While not quite "midnight at the museum", exploring the gallery after hours with flashlights, as happened one afternoon, can be pretty exciting and offers students an unusual perspective of paintings chosen for their quality of light.

Having examined closely one piece of art, the young detectives then explore in more detail a related art element or technique: colour, contrast, texture or line, perhaps. The hands-on part of the afternoon may take the children into the natural world of the gardens surrounding the museum or encourage them to become more aware of the texture and shape of objects.

While all the young detectives agreed the hour-and-a-half session was "fun", five-year-old Caspar Ringsted was particularly taken with the exploration of Henry Moore's shell studies. "I liked the shells best," he said. "The shells were smooth and some were bumpy."

Holden Seward couldn't pick a favourite activity. "I like all the parts. It was just fun," he declared, before adding, "I like to draw trees. Trees are easy for me to draw."

"The art is nice because it's fun to make it," agreed six-year-old Connor Phillips.

The lone girl in the Tuesday afternoon group, Yasmin Burt, enjoyed attending the class because: "I like drawing pictures. I like to draw the art upstairs. I like the 'candy house'," she added, referring to a painting by Jennifer Bartlett.

The small group size means the children have extended teacher contact time with Masterworks Education Director Carrie Zenti and her assistant Asako Watanaee. So far in this five-week session, they have encouraged the children to examine closely the light, shadows and reflections in the photograph by Cole Weston, the shell-inspired sketches of Henry Moore and botanical elements in the paintings of Houghton Cranford Smith.

In other sessions, the detectives investigate Bermuda's history, people and culture through the art on display. A worksheet handout lets parents know what the children focused on so that they can discuss the afternoon's activities with their child and encourage follow-up activities at home.

The sessions are divided into three age groups: Tuesdays are for five- to six-year-olds; seven and eight-year-olds meet on Wednesdays, while Thursdays are set aside for nine to twelve-year-olds, though this session there was less demand for that age group. The sessions are for five weeks, and cost $135 for members, and $150 for non-members.

The next five-week session begins on November 18 and runs until December 16; there are spaces still available for all age groups.

For more information contact Ms Zenti by telephoning 236-2950 or by emailing her at edumworks@logic.bm