including “Mind the Gap” and the permanent collection. The combination of abstract and traditional art gives students a well-rounded understanding of both approaches. UGA students helped in several ways. Experience UGA Ambassadors and the museum’s education interns supported the tours directly. Museum education interns also helped develop some of the tour content, researching objects and creating activities designed to engage 5th-graders.
After touring “Mind the Gap” and the permanent collection, 5th-graders then created their own abstract art. The highlight of the visit for many students, creating their own art helps the 5th-graders find inspiration and tap into their creativity. Using long strips of paper that they bent, twisted and glued to a cardboard round, they created their own abstract animal sculptures inspired by Nathan Mabry’s sculpture “The Nostalgia of the Infinite (Le Taureau).” Mabry’s sculpture was on view in “Mind the Gap” and uses geometric shapes to suggest a bull without actually showing one. The activity provided a hands-on chance to further explore the concepts of shape, structure and movement in a fun and imaginative way. The program is designed to be inspiring and welcoming for elementary school students. For many, it is their first visit to an art museum. Staff and docents encourage students to return to the museum with their families to continue fostering a connection to the arts beyond the classroom. “We want students to leave the museum feeling like they’ve not only learned something new about art, but also developed a positive connection to higher education and UGA’s campus,” said Loyd. “[We want them to leave the museum] thinking, ‘I’ve been there. I can see myself going there.’” After nearly two decades of educating 5th-grade students in Clarke County, the program continues to shape the minds of young learners and inspire the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders, but it has also grown to help future educators gain valuable experience in the classroom. The 5th-graders’ art education isn’t confined to the galleries. Following the visit, University of Georgia students Jihee Kang (a doctoral student in art education) and Ella Madden (a second-year undergraduate student, also in art ed) continue outreach by visiting each 5th- grade classroom to reinforce the lessons learned at the museum. In the 2023-24 school year, UGA students visited more than 40 5th-grade classrooms to teach a nearly hour-long lesson that built on what students learned during their museum visit and to foster a deeper understanding of abstract art and creativity. Funding for both supplies and to pay Kang and Madden for their work comes from an Arts Education Program Grant from Georgia Council for the Arts. The outreach lessons following the museum visit help strengthen concepts and ideas introduced on the field trip and provide opportunities for preservice art education students at UGA to gain valuable hands-on experience developing and implementing a museum-focused lesson plan. “We are proud of the long history of the museum’s public outreach and community engagement work through our K-through-12 school programs. The 5th-grade program in particular is a great example of how the museum fulfills its mission of providing opportunities for authentic, experiential learning for both CCSD kids and UGA students,” said Callan Steinmann, the museum’s head of education and curator of academic and public programs.
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The program encourages students to engage with works independently using an activity guide that’s designed to spark critical thinking and foster close looking and personal interpretation of works on display. “The idea is to have students explore ideas, themes and subjects of contemporary abstract art,” said Kaitlyn Loyd, the museum’s assistant curator of education. Beyond the guided tour, the program featured a variety of other activities that help students engage with and learn about art.
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