Joslyn Art Museum serves as an educational resource for the entire greater metropolitan area, including Southwest Iowa. As such, this spring, we welcomed every second grade student from the Council Bluffs School District — nearly 700 children from eleven school buildings — for a docent-guided tour called Parts of Art. This interactive tour helps students discover the visual language of art while exploring highlights in the Museum’s permanent collection. Parts of Art is a great start for these young children, many visiting an art museum for the very first time, as they begin to develop their art vocabulary and “looking” skills.
Council Bluffs 2nd graders get a surprise lesson on the care and cleaning of Museum artworks.
A district-wide commitment to provide engagement with original works of art is a big deal for students because it presents school curriculum in an inspiring and memorable way and, more importantly, it introduces these learners to a cultural resource – accessible every day, free of charge – that can enrich their family’s quality of life. Council Bluffs School District dedicated precious class time for this purpose – even taking time to implement a pre-and post assessment to measure student understanding of tour content – because they recognize Joslyn Art Museum as an extension of the classroom and value it as a community resource that can contribute to a healthy mind and spirit.
When you support Joslyn with your membership, or other levels of giving, you invest in art education by making possible free Museum admission for all students and transportation grants for schools in need. A smart investment, indeed!
Nancy Round,
Director of Education & Outreach
