The work sets out to rethink the actions carried out in an art museum. The choice of this theme was based on the need to reflect on the conceptual and methodological foundations that guide pedagogical action in an art museum, with the aim of suggesting future proposals for this field of study. The reflection presented here was based on three museum institutions in Rio Grande do Sul: the Ruth Schneider Museum of Visual Arts - Mavrs, in Passo Fundo, the Ado Malagoli- Margs Museum of Arts of Rio Grande do Sul, in Porto Alegre, and the Leopoldo Gotuzzo Museum of Art - Malg, in Pelotas. The results of the study make it possible to identify the museums' audiences and how they respond to the educational activities carried out in them.