Abstract:

This presentation will explore examples of outreach programming at the Acadia University Art Gallery located in Nova Scotia, Canada. The paper argues for the integral role that a university gallery can play in a classroom setting as it provides the opportunity for extended classroom learning and the application of class concepts and themes.

The paper will explore two projects undertaken at the Acadia University Art Gallery. The first, ‘Environmental and Cultural Landscapes: Intersections of Art, Environment and Education’ explores how artist and exhibitions can be used to understand issues of climate change and environmental stewardship. The gallery led a study involving future science and social science teachers in the School of Education who participated in a series of gallery tours and workshops to investigate the ways in which visual art could be used to engage with science in the classroom. The second project will explore the programming around an exhibition of the Guerrilla Girls, particularly how their visual language can be applied to classroom projects, focusing on models undertaken in Political Science and Recreation Management classes.

The paper will explore and present case studies and provide examples of hands-on practical approaches in developing art education workshops and in conducting research among science, social science, art and school teachers to explore how exhibitions can be a key resource for teaching. The paper will explore how exhibitions provide a meeting ground in which primary research in the field of visual art can connect with research and understanding in other fields, presenting a cross disciplinary approach for education in the classroom.

Keywords:

Art Galleries, Art Education, Collaboration Models, Case Studies.