Education Department

Rockwell Museum of Western Art Serves as Bridge to Area Schools

March 3, 2006

CORNING, NY - The Rockwell Museum of Western Art has provided a rare educational bridge between not only art teachers in different schools, but different districts as well.

With the support of the Community Foundation of The Elmira-Corning Area, Inc., the Rockwell Museum of Western Art has continued partnering with regional schools by providing free arts programming and now serving as a venue for art teacher workshops, culminating in special curriculum to be used in their classrooms.

During this 2005/2006 academic year, the Rockwell Museum of Western Art has been able to expand their Middle School Special Curriculum Program to include a collaborative project between the Corning-Painted Post Area School District, Elmira City Schools and the Museum's Education Department. As part of the Program, the Corning-Painted Post school art teachers will have the opportunity to share structure and process of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program art curriculum with Elmira City School art teachers and to collaborate together to develop special art curriculum, inspired by the Museum's current special exhibition Cultural Reflections: Inuit Art from the Collections of the Dennos Museum Center.

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art has already hosted one of three art teacher workshops where teachers discussed projects and lesson plans. The workshops, which promote exchanges between districts, provide a "laboratory" opportunity for teachers to discuss and examine lesson plan theories and approaches, and design art projects for students.

"It is a rare opportunity for teachers in different schools and even a rarer opportunity for teachers in different districts to share models of best practices. The design of lesson plans for art projects is an art in itself and I'm very excited about the opportunity for the teachers to share their process and students process," said Rockwell Museum Director of Education, Gigi Alvare.

Participating art teachers from the Corning-Painted Post Area School District are Sharron Holland, Corning Free Academy and Christine Adams, Northside Blodgett Middle School. From the Elmira City School District, Dale Witkowski, Ernie Davis Middle School and Joann Smith, Broadway Middle School.

As this pilot program continues to develop, it will allow students to study this special curriculum in their classrooms, visit the Rockwell Museum for a specialized "Inuit" tour, see a live cultural performance by Chuna McIntyre, a Yup'ik performer, and use these experiences to create their own artwork to be exhibited in the Education Gallery of the Rockwell Museum this summer.

Students will be given the rare opportunity to watch the live cultural performance by Chuna McIntyre, a traditional Yup'ik singer, dancer and storyteller in their schools March 27 & 28. Costumed in Native dress and accompanied by drummer Vernon Chimegalrea, McIntyre will visit Ernie Davis Middle School on Monday March 27, and Corning Free Academy on Tuesday March 28. This performance will complement the Inuit classroom curriculum and Museum tours and draw the students into this unique culture.

To learn more about the Inuit people and cultures, please visit the Museum and view the special exhibition Cultural Reflections: Inuit Art from the Collections of the Dennos Museum Center on view through May 29, 2006. (Organized and circulated by the Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan College).

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is committed to enabling young learners to reflect upon and represent themselves positively in their own communities as well as to encourage and stimulate thought and conversation through an engaging place to learn about art. To learn more about how you or your company can support the Arts in Education program, please contact the Museum's Office of Development at 607.974.2810.

The Museum is open to the public seven days a week; hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Museum is located a few steps from Market St., on the corner of Cedar Street and Dennison Parkway in Corning.

Teacher Contacts:

Broadway Middle School
Art Teacher, Joann Smith
josmith@elmiracityschools.com

Corning Free Academy
Art Teacher, Sharron Holland
sholland@cppmail.com

Northside Blodgett
Art Teacher, Christine Adams
cadams@cppmail.com