VAST

Visual Arts as Sources for Teaching

Each summer the Museum's Division of Education offers K–12 teachers of all subject areas the chance to renew their spirit of inquiry as they immerse themselves in the Museum’s collections and explore the special nature of art and its use as a resource in their classrooms.

These courses are recommended for teachers of grades K–12 of all subject areas who would like to become more comfortable looking at and talking about art, and teachers who wish to explore the ways in which art and the Museum’s collections can enrich their classroom studies. Teams of up to four teachers from the same school are encouraged to apply. Enrollment for each course is limited to forty teachers.

Special lunchtime programs and breakout sessions provide teachers with opportunities to meet colleagues in their own subject areas and grade levels and discuss ways of bringing what they learned at VAST back to their classrooms.

Each participant will receive special teaching resources containing reproductions and information on selected works of art in the Museum’s collections, as well as gallery and classroom activities, related articles, and a bibliography.

Reservations for VAST will begin on Monday, March 15, 2010.

VAST is generously supported by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, Inc., the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Comcast Foundation, and the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation.

Course One
July 12–16, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Impressionisms

The emergence of Impressionism in painting was followed by similar movements in other media, such as sculpture, photography, music, and literature. During this week-long program, teachers will examine common themes in European and American visual arts, music, and literature of the late nineteenth century while exploring the Museum’s collection of Impressionist art as well as this summer’s special exhibition, Late Renoir. Teachers will attend lectures by curators and invited scholars, explore the galleries with Museum Education staff, take part in hands-on art and writing activities, and visit other institutions, including the Barnes Foundation, whose collections relate to the theme of this course. Participants will work in small groups to explore the ways in which they can connect Impressionism with their curriculum.

Course Two
July 19–23, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Pennsylvania Art: From Colony to Nation

Beginning in the seventeenth century, colonists flocked to the city of Philadelphia, which would become the political, intellectual, and cultural center of the American colonies, and to the surrounding regions, which offered a wealth of natural resources. The six objects highlighted in the Museum’s newest teaching poster set serve as jumping-off points to explore American history and art from our time as a colony to a state in a new nation. Participants will attend sessions with curators, scholars, and the Museum’s Education staff, as well as visit other sites, including The Athenaeum of Philadelphia and the Second Bank of the United States Portrait Gallery at Independence National Historic Park. Teachers will work in small groups to develop strategies for incorporating these resources into their teaching.

Course Highlights

Participants in this summer's program take part in a wide variety of activities:

• lectures and workshops led by Museum educators as well as guest artists, educators, and scholars
• demonstrations, performances, and films
• small group discussions in the Museum’s galleries
• behind-the-scenes meetings with Museum curators
• hands-on studio explorations
• writing workshops
• field trips to other cultural institutions in Philadelphia

Credits

Each one-week VAST course may be taken for several credit options:

• 30 Pennsylvania continuing professional education hours
• 30 New Jersey professional development hours
• 2 graduate credits in Art Education from the University of the Arts*

*Teachers opting for graduate credit will be required to complete supplemental reading and additional written work.

Fees

One Week: $200 Members, $250 Nonmembers
Both Weeks: $300 Members, $400 Nonmembers
Graduate Credit: $350 Members and Nonmembers

Location

VAST is held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street, Philadelphia. The Museum is served by SEPTA bus routes 7, 32, 38, 43, and 48. Teachers from beyond commuting distance to the Museum are welcome to apply. However, you will need to make your own arrangements for room and board. A list of suggested accommodations can be obtained from the Museum’s Division of Education.

Registration

To register, call the Museum’s Ticket and Reservation Center at (215) 235-SHOW (7469), 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please specify whether you will be taking the course for professional development hours or graduate credits.

There is a service charge of $2.50 for Museum members, $3 for nonmembers for reservations made by phone. There is no service charge for reservations made in person at the Museum.

Graduate Credit

Graduate Credit Teachers opting for graduate credits in Art Education at The University of the Arts must notify the University by calling (215) 717-6092. Based on the partnership between the Museum and the University, tuition is offered at the special price of $350. Teachers may also qualify for additional discounts or scholarships from the Professional Institute for Educators; refer to their Web page for more information: http://cs.uarts.edu/pie/index.php

For more information, please contact Education: School & Teacher Programs by phone at (215) 684-7580, by fax at (215) 236-4063, or by e-mail at .