Saturday, September 18, 2010

High Establishes Academic Affiliation with the Lovett School and Westminster Schools

Collaborations Enable Further Integration of the Arts into Curriculums

The High Museum of Art recently established new academic affiliations with both The Lovett School and The Westminster Schools. The three-year collaborations allow for the sharing of resources between the High and the schools to further integrate the visual arts into their educational curricula by drawing on the High’s special exhibitions, collections, programs and Museum staff expertise.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Lovett and Westminster to establish our first affiliate agreement with P–12 schools,” says Patricia Rodewald, Eleanor McDonald Storza Director of Education. “Building on our mutual commitment to the integration of the arts into education, this affiliation will deepen our relationship with Lovett and Westminster and engage their communities with great art and programming.”

During this affiliation Lovett and Westminster students and chaperones will receive free admission to the High’s special exhibitions and permanent collection for school-sponsored field trips. Additionally, discounted memberships will be available for purchase at the Museum for Lovett and Westminster families and faculty. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in informal discussions or career workshops. They will have access to each of the High’s special exhibition and collection catalogues in their school’s media center. Additional programmatic benefits will include lectures and internships.

Faculty members will receive annual updates on the High’s long-term plans for special exhibitions and programs. Teachers will also participate in various professional development programs at the High, designed to foster discussion and idea sharing to further integrate resources from relevant exhibitions into the schools’ curricula.

“We are very excited to start this partnership with the High Museum of Art,” says Jay Freer, Lovett Director of Fine Arts. “The unparalleled access provided to our students and faculty will not only enrich the learning experiences for us all, but also create a crucial connection for the future. Mrs. Lovett was deeply committed to making the arts a part of her school. By partnering with the High we are honoring that commitment. While some schools are cutting their arts programs, Lovett’s new partnership with the High shows how essential we believe the arts are to the education of the whole child.”

“This partnership makes it easy for our school to provide our students with a tremendous resource: access to the world-class collections and special exhibitions of the High Museum. We will also be able to use the Museum’s excellent professional development services to help our teachers confidently incorporate art into their curricula,” said Jere Wells, Assistant Headmaster for Academic Affairs at The Westminster Schools. Westminster started the school year by involving the teachers in this new affiliation process on August 12, the opening night of its Faculty Forum. “We took more than 100 teachers to an evening filled with special events at the High, which generated a lot of enthusiasm from our faculty toward this program.”
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