¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University Forges Innovative Partnership with Aldrich Museum
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University are embarking on an exciting new partnership next week as the prestigious institutions co-present the launch of the inaugural summer institue, " Text and Context: Teaching and Learning through Contemporary Art and the Written Word." The four-day professional development opportunity will take place at the Ridgefield-based museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 27 to 30, and will provide K-12 educators and creative professionals with innovative strategies for integrating the arts across multiple disciplines. Registration for the program is $400, which includes workshop supplies and materials.
“The Aldrich is thrilled to establish an educational partnership with ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University,” said Alyson Baker, executive director of The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. “This collaboration is an expression of our shared commitment to highly effective, multifaceted teaching and learning. We are particularly excited to engage with the University’s English and Art Department faculty, who share a like-minded interest in developing innovative strategies for cross-disciplinary thinking.”
Using contemporary art as the core of its content, the institute will be led by Aldrich and Guggenheim Museum teaching artist, Jeff Hopkins, MEd, in addition to ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University English Department Professors Carol Ann Davis and Sonya Huber, as well as Fine Arts Department Professor Jo Yarrington. Each day, participants will engage in an on-going mixed-media project with Hopkins that will be complemented by exhibition-inspired sessions led by ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ faculty who specialize in cross-cultural and social justice studies, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Participants will investigate the text-based exhibitions on view at The Aldrich while recharging their imaginations by participating in a variety of art-making and writing activities. The program will draw connections between creativity and learning and will strengthen visual literacy skills and inquiry-based teaching methods.
“¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University is excited to enter into an educational partnership with The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum,” said Christine Siegel, PhD, interim provost. “Our first joint-venture draws on strengths in innovative teaching and learning that characterize both of our institutions, and we look forward to the many programming opportunities that our collaboration with such a forward-thinking and creative institution as The Aldrich, will provide.”
For more information on the Summer Institute, visit aldrichart.org.
