Art Beyond Borders Makes It's Michigan Debut in Harbor Beach

Art Beyond Borders makes its' Michigan debut for two weeks, December 7 - 14, at Harbor Beach Community School in Harbor Beach, Michigan and I had to be there. Spanish Teacher Jon Fruytier of Harbor Beach Community School does it again. Through his diligence and dedication towards bringing Big Art to a Small Town he was awarded a grant from Target to bring in a Student Art Experience for his school. One of the 9 exhibits that he has reserved for the 2009 - 2010 school year is our New Art Beyond Borders Traveling Exhibit. This exhibit features artwork from 21st Century Artists representing 24 countries around the world. It's an awesome oppotunity to work with educator like Jon, helping gift awe & inspiration through the richness of art and culture. This exhibit Bridges the Gap of Cultural Diversity and Promotes Peace and Understanding through our Universal Language, Art!
For more information on this Spectacular, International exhibit that we're sending to classrooms around the country, be sure to check out our website at www.artbeyondbordersexhibit.com.

Henri Rousseau Pre-School Style

The Early Childhood Learning Center in Phillipsburg, NJ has just hosted their second Traveling Exhibit. Students are never too young to be inspired by art.
Ginnie Sacchi was kind enough to share the preschool's Henri Rousseau inspired artwork.
Awe..... This is what Ginnie has to say about the preschool's exhibit experience.
Hi Lisa, The children, families and staff of the Phillipsburg Early Childhood Learning Center enjoyed the Traveling Exhibit of Henri Rousseau's art. We are grateful that our school's PTO sponsored the event to enrich our children's experience. Art teacher, Troy Guzenski, helped the children create lion faces, monkeys and jungle pictures throughout the school and individual preschool teachers explored the jungle theme using assorted media to build murals with their students.
I am attaching a few photos of student work to share.
Thank you, Ginnie Sacchi.

Art of Ancient Egypt Exhibit is a hit

Art Teacher Marina Monteleone of Millburn Middle School in Millburn, NJ was our lucky winner of an exhibit rental while attending the AENJ conference back in October. She chose our New Art of Ancient Egypt exhibit and you can see why. It's beautiful! Marina wrote in to share her exhibit experience and her exhibit inspired student artwork with us, Thanks Marina.
This is what she had to say. I received the exhibit today! It was so easy to set up and the students seem to really be interested in it. The students will be working on an Ancient Egyptian art project to correlate with their current Social Studies unit, if they are in 6th grade, or the the Social Studies unit from last year, if they're in 7th grade. The project in art will be to make a traditional Ancient Egyptian deaddress including the nemes, but change it in some way to bring it to present times. For instance, they may add a Yankees logo, or more modern looking makeup to the headdress. I have metalic mediums that students can utilize to add details and decoration to their pieces and take inspiration from the traditional headdresses that were made with gold. Those students that are a part of the Millburn Middle School online art gallery will have their artwork up when they tell me that they are finished. They can be viewed at www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=65828.

Maconaquah Elementary School Hosts the Diego Rivera Exhibit and Brenda Sends Us Another Love Letter

Good afternoon Lisa,
I just took down the Rivera exhibit and packaged it up to send back. That is such a let-down after enjoying it for a week plus. Once again it met and surpassed our expectations. I just love these panels and the great potential they have for my students to learn about artists, see clearly wonderful pieces and have the week to truly absorb some of the wonder and excitement of great works of art. We have several Mexican students here at Maconaquah and they especially enjoyed learning about Diego and Frida and some Mexican history. I was glad to share the Day of the Dead history with all of my students too. Monday, students will comment about how bare the walls are on the hall that we use for the exhibit. That is great too, they noticed and are anticipating the next panel to arrive.
Here is the story my LD teaching friend told me yesterday. A child in her class was walking with her by the exhibit and began relating to her about the picture being a dream, Diego's mother, that he was painted as a younger child and holding his mom's hand, perspective with the band, about the flower vendor and the mining picture. He had the facts about Frida and Diego and several other things we had talked about in class. She was quite impressed and shared his excitement in being able to teach her new things. What a teaching experience and acknowledgment of his listening and learning in art class. Thank you.
I promoted your company at the AEAI conference in Indi last weekend. My presentation went well (I didn't trip on any cords and fall down-- must be a success!!) and at the end I told them about the great exhibits/art history opportunity we are having this year and gave them your web address. A few had hosted your panels in the past and agreed that you are the best. In the elementary division meeting the next day I plugged you again. I hope you get some response from them. I so love working with you all there and this extension of teaching, it has been great fun.
Thanks, Brenda

And We Have A Winner !!!!!!!!!

Everyone, I'd like to introduce you
to our Lucky Traveling Exhibits
winner, Marina Monteleone, Art
Teacher from Millburn Middle School
from Millburn, NJ. We met while
we both attended the Fabulous,
Art Ed. Conference held in Somerset, NJ earlier this month. Traveling Exhibits held drawings for free exhibit
rentals and there you have it.
You can see how excited Marina is
about winning as she strikes up a pose
for us in front of our Jackson Pollock exhibit that was displayed in the
convention center. The exhibit that
Marina has chosen to inspire her
school with is our New Art of Ancient
Egypt Traveling Exhibit. Be sure to visit the Traveling Exhibits Displays if you see us at your State Art Education conferences and perhaps you could be a lucky winner too!
Way to go Marina, I look forward to working with you, inspiring many at Millburn Middle School!

Another Love Letter from Brenda at Maconaquah

Lisa, The Degas exhibit is Marvelous! I couldn't believe it could be better than Rousseau, but it was!!! A teacher and I stood in a little alcove and watched as the students came in the morning after we hung it. Their expressions were also ours, of "OH!" and "Oh, my!". We were all speechless, it took our breath away. My principal wanted to wrap up in the last one, and she is trying to find a way to have this one in her living room!! Besides the wonderful reproductions of the artwork, the opportunities to teach about life skills that you have used in the "biographies" on the panels is exactly what I try to teach my students. From "believing in yourself" from Rousseau to "never giving up" with Degas, I could not dream of anything better to use with my students in this great vocation of teaching art. Thank you SO MUCH for creating this wonderful differentiated tool. I sent you pictures of our Rousseau activities. I hope they came through okay. We are deep into Impressionistic movement pieces now, so will keep you informed. Once again, thank you for this wonderful experience.
Brenda

Rousseau Inspired Student Art Work, Another Love letter from Brenda

Good afternoon Lisa,
I cannot tell you how much we have enjoyed this exhibit! The kids as well as the staff, and especially me!!! Yesterday all the middle school art classes came over with a scavenger hunt and other materials from their teacher. Today, several board members and community members have been here to enjoy the exhibit. Several from the community have never been inside our school so this has been such a good PR opportunity. I gave them the royal tour with all the murals I have painted here too. Thank you for the quality of the exhibit, the ease of installation and the materials to go with the exhibit, and most of all your willingness/eagerness to help make this a wonderful experience for all of us. Thanks. I am sending you pictures of my 3rd graders working and 4th and 5th grade Rousseau inspired jungle pieces that have been finished. I can hardly wait for September when the Edgar Degas exhibit arrives. I'm already advertising it to my art groups. Thanks again,
Brenda.

Another Love Letter....... From Brenda at Maconaquah Elementary

I am thrilled to be able to share another love letter with you. This is from Brenda, an Elementary Art Teacher at Maconaquah Elementary School in Indiana. The Henri Rousseau Traveling Exhibit is the first in her Student Art Experience and this is what she had to say,"Good afternoon Lisa,
WHAT A GREAT EXHIBIT. I am THRILLED, and the kids are really excited. I have been teaching from the panels since Wed (our first real day to do art class and not rule days). We have done history, observations, contrast and compare............... I could not ask for a better resource. Thank you so much. Thanks too for sending the info on the two artists and the pin. You truly are the best company I have ever worked with. Thanks so much. I will send you pictures of the kids and their projects when we are finished, and of my room." Brenda has 8 more exhibits in her Student Art Experience. So watch for Brenda's updates and student art projects. This is why we do what we do. Obviously Brenda is inspired, therefore her students will be inspired too! Thanks Brenda

Google Teacher's Discovery Traveling Exhibits and this is just one of many articles that you'll find

Google Teacher's Discovery Traveling Exhibits and this is just one of many articles that you could find. It's a great story of our Claude Monet Traveling Exhibit and the Impression and Inspiration that it evoked while visiting Parkside Middle School in Manassas, VA. This article can be found at insidenova.com. This article was published March 20, 2009 and reporter Amanda Stewart does and excellent job telling the story of Parkside's Memorable Exhibit Experience. You'll see what I mean when you read on.
" Reggie Miles said he never considered himself a big fan of art museums. But that might have changed this week. After a traveling exhibit on impressionist painter Claude Monet visited Parkside Middle School this week, Reggie, a 14-year-old eighth-grader, said he gained a new appreciation for art. "I hadn't been an art appreciator before," he said. "But now that I've seen this up close, I think I'd like to go to art museums and see more."
The exhibit, put together by the company Teacher's Discovery, included three large prints of Monet's most famous pieces, including a 17 x 7-foot-long-print of "The Water Lily Pond; Pink Harmony." The large prints hung in Parkside's hallway all week, alongside Monet-inspired work done by Parkside students.
Students have been studying Monet and impressionism in their art and French classes and in the library, since November, said school librarian Jill Hubbell. This weeks traveling exhibit was the culminating event, she said.
In Myriam Lawrence's art classes, students learned about French impressionist painters and used the impressionist's dabbing technique to create their own art, Lawrence said.
French teacher Nancy Lopez said she used Monet's paintings to teach French vocabulary. Sixth-graders used the paintings to learn the French words for colors. In eighth-grade classes, students read a biography of Monet written in French and learned past tense of verbs.
In the library, students went on a "scavenger hunt" to find the answers to questions about Monet's life and work. Students also went on a field trip to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where they got to see some of Monet's paintings up close. "It was exciting for our students, because they saw it first hand, not just from a picture," Hubbell said.
Teachers also tied the traveling exhibit into language arts classes, Hubbell said. Underneath the paintings, writing prompts were posted.
Friday afternoon, students Lisa Zilka's seventh-grade language arts class sat in front of the exhibit, using it as inspiration for their writing. A few other students, including Reggie, were busy making their own crayon drawings based on the Monet painting.
"It's challenging trying to mimic one of the great artists," said eighth-grader colt Burton, 14. The students said they liked having the exhibit in their school all week. "It's nice to have time to appreciate this kind of art," said eighth-grader Ijya Khatwada, 13. "When you just pass it in the hallway, you might not look at it that closely. It's good that it was here all week so we could see it."
By using Amanda's article I've been able to show you another perfect example of why we do what we do here at Teacher's Discovery Traveling Exhibits and Art Teacher's Discovery.

More love notes.... This is why we do it!

Last April Lincoln Street Elementary School in Waverly, NY hosted our Spectacular, Teacher's Choice Award Winning Vincent vanGogh Traveling Exhibit. Teacher, Karen Navaie sent me a love note which contained quotes from students. This is what they said, this is how they felt, this is why we do it.
Lisa, the exhibit Vincent vanGogh was awesome. Thank you so much. My students, parents, staff and faculty were so excited about the exhibit. Everyone was talking about vanGogh & Starry Night. One kindergarten student came around the corner after I set up the exhibit. His comment, "WOW!", "That's Starry Night by Vincent vanGogh!". Other comments - "I think that the display was really amazing!" "It was so big that many people can see it at once". "My favorite display was the Night Cafe and the view from his hospital room, because there were very bright colors!" 6th grade student.
"When I first saw the painting it looked alive and I like it ever since." 6th grade student
"Spectacular! Beautiful, Amazing" 5th grade student
"I think I'll never forget that exhibit! Starry Night was beautiful and big, and just like lots of Vincent's wondrous paintings. It really touched you just to look at it, and that exhibit shows you that!" 4th grade student
"I thought is was awesome with all the beautiful colors and the brush strokes. It reminded me of being in a patch of flowers with lots of colors. I learned that Vincent died penniless and that his paintings were worth so much. Starry Night was beautiful!" 4th grade student
Thank you again for the exhibit. I'm already planning to get one for next year.
Thanks, Karen Navaie

I'd Like To Share A Love Note......

As coordinator for Traveling Exhibits I get the wonderful privilege of working with Teachers, Librarians and Museum Directors across the country gifting awe, inspiration and a memorable, cultural, museum experience to "Many". Whether hosting Art exhibits, Science or Social Studies there is a lot to experience and learn from each Traveling Exhibit, bringing their subject matter larger than life. As Traveling Exhibits continues to grow, we are becoming busier and busier and our fan mail is poring in. Skip the owner of Teacher's Discovery has re-named our fan mail to our "Love Letters". If you've read my introduction here on my blog than you know that I have created this blog to be used as a venue for our exhibit renters to inspire their peers. Well keeping on with that agenda I decided that I really wanted to share this love letter with you from Ms. Maxwell, Spanish Teacher at Woodglen School in Califon, NJ. So.... Here's Ms. Maxwell.....
Dear Lisa,
I extend tardy but hearty thanks to you and Teacher's Discovery. I have always enjoyed and used all the great items I have purchased in the past from Teacher's Discovery, but I was most impressed with the traveling art show. The promotional material was excellent. Our custodial staff, Mrs. Gaskill and I had no problem installing and dismantling the show. What a great product from conception to presentation. However, now there is an emptiness that must be filled. We realize what we were missing.... art and color.
What a transformation Picasso made to the room and what a reaction we had from our audiences. We planned the date to coincide with our drama club presentation of "Mulan" to increase exposure. Everyone who entered the room paused to study when confronted with the paintings on the wall. The PTA who sponsored the show had but one response; what are we going to do next year, Kahlo? The Board of Education enjoyed the back drop to their meeting. The show affected many. The custodial staff had their coffee breaks and lunch in the room just to be able to see it more often.
Cheryl Gaskill and I were able to co-teach a lesson to our joint Spanish classes using the life sized Picasso paintings. It was great to have them see the paintings almost as they would be, rather than using a book or a too small poster. Many were truly mesmerized and it gave them an opportunity to study three paintings in depth. Had they gone to the museum, they would not have walked away so impressed nor so educated. Less is more. Students we did not expect to like the show wanted more. They loved it, but that is how art works, it speaks to some more than others. Even if they did not like art they were able to see how two paintings by the same man can be very different. They could sense the light, colorful calm before the storm of Night Fishing at Antibes compared to the negative, harsh reality of Guernica.
In my next class I had the students try their hand at drawing like Picasso. They were to draw faces of other students and were to try to capture their personality or their physical characteristics... but not in a traditional manner (no oval face!), as Picasso might have at age 80. Amazingly many could. They seemed to understand what he was trying to do and a bit more of the man himself. I credit the show for allowing them to experience art in depth for at least one day.
Thank you again, personally I loved it and miss it. However, it inspired our school to create some Student Wall Art next year. Looking forward to future exhibit rentals.
Sincerely,
Jerilyn Maxwell, Spanish Teacher

Hats off to Target!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Many Thanks From Traveling Exhibits

Did you know that Target sponsors arts programs that bring the arts to schools and help to make it affordable for youth and families to participate in cultural experiences. One such example is Target Family Day at art museums around the country? Programs that make the arts accessible to school children are of particular interest to them. It appears that Teacher's Discovery Traveling Exhibits is exactly the kind of arts in the schools program that they are funding. Target has been a very generous sponsor for our exhibits for the last two years now and they are definitely continuing with their support with most grants averaging between $1,000 to $3,000. I've heard from 2 teachers and 1 librarian within the last 3 days who've been awarded a combined $5,000 for Traveling Exhibits. The notifications are already being sent out when our grant writers were told that they'd have to wait until Sept. 30, 2009. With all of that being said:
Here's a link to Target Grants FAQ.
Please keep in mind that the deadline has passed for the 2009-2010 school year and they will be accepting new applications again after March 1, 2010. It's never to early to Aspire to Inspire.

Rivera Exhibit Inspires Creative Writing From 6th Graders At Chester Elementary in Chester, CT

Barbara Murray-Lane of the Chester Elementary School PTO coordinated an ExhibitShare program for Chester and neighboring school Essex Elementary this past 08-09 school year . The art teacher of Chester had collaborated with the other teachers and made the exhibits a school wide learning experience. Barbara's son is a 6th grader at Chester Elementary. He brought home a creative writing piece that he had done in English, after his Diego Rivera exhibit experience. Besides learning about Diego Rivera's life he was also taught the history behind the people featured in the mural Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park. Barbara was so awestruck by her son's writing she followed up with his teacher to see if she would mind sharing more of Rivera's inspired writings from his classmates to share on the Inspiration Avenue blog and she was happy to oblige. So, with that being said, here is one of the writings that Barbara has passed along for me to share with you.
I am the man on crutches. You may call me Commander Suarez. The medals on my shirt symbolize my bravery during a time of war. Those medals make me proud, but these crutches represent the pain and suffering that I went through to get them. My face explains what it felt like, to be severely wounded, to have one more brush with death. It's like it breaks you, puts you back together but misses a piece, every time, until it's unbearable.
Throughout the wars, I have gained medals, but I have lost friends. So many have perished. Their faces will forever stay in my mind, haunting my dreams and making the pain that much worse. Their cries of agony, they still echo in my ears. It will scar my face forever, a permanent sadness. Their passing makes each of these medals just another object. Those who died deserve an honorary medal that shows their courage and bravery, giving their lives to save another. They deserve to be rich beyond their wildest dreams. But they won't be. They have left us and are gone forever. They won't get the things they deserve.
They are not the only ones that I have lost. A criminal killed my family. After that, I have never been truly happy. I am a lonely old man who has no one to turn to in times of need or sickness. A sad expression is permanent on my face. It will never go away. It is what tells my story. The sad story of this old man's life.
Barbara, Thanks for sharing

Salvador Dali Traveling Exhibit Makes Our Local Paper

This short article is in a southeastern Michigan newspaper featuring Brewster Elementary, a school near Teacher's Discovery that's been hosting Traveling Exhibits for the last three years. The exhibits have been sponsored by a parent-led Art Smart organization. Maria Romero of Art Smart visits each classroom at Brewster introducing the artist, artwork, and their background information before the exhibit's arrival. Grade level appropriate content of course. Maria was kind enough to extend an invitation for me to listen in on one of her Salvador Dali presentations to a second grade class. How lucky am I!! Getting a first hand glimpse into the classroom and being able to see how captivated the children are by the artwork and artist background is truly inspiring. It's why we do what we do.

Teacher's Choice Award Winning Vincent van Gogh Traveling Exhibit Visits Kaukauna, WI and Leaves a Post - Impression

As you know I love to use this blog as a venue for you to inspire your peers. So, with that being said, here's Elementary Art Teacher Vicky Siegel .... Hi Lisa- The week with the
van Gogh Traveling Exhibit was a big hit! Only 2 more classes to go and I change my room back to normal! Each class saw the exhibit during their art time, and then there was a parent night on Thurs. It was a big success! I had the students complete a "scavenger hunt" after I talked a little about the exhibit. I added to the show by having 6 large stand up bulletin boards around the room with the info. you sent along with a ton I had found. Students were so insightful! We talked about how van Gogh lost 10 teeth due to his buying paint and not food and not being healthy, and also about how he never smiled in his self-portraits. One first grader added, 'That's probably why he never smiled! Because he was missing his teeth!" All the students were surprised that the "Red Vineyard at Arles" was his only painting that he had sold. Now next week, all students will start a van Gogh project. First graders are painting sunflowers, second graders are creating a "mini-masterpiece" ( a small drawing of a van Gogh painting on a popsicle stick easel), third graders are making a clay "Starry Night", and 4th graders are making a new bedroom with the bed being a yarn weaving! All the students signed their name to a large birthday card, since van Gogh's birthday is on March 30th.
The Mike Venezia "van Gogh" book was a perfect fit to read to all of the classes, too. Thanks for this opportunity. I can't wait to schedule a new exhibit for next school year!! Sincerely. Vicky Siegel.

Our New ExhibitShare

Hi there, Lisa Your Traveling Exhibits Coordinator here asking you to check out our new exhibitshare program. Those of you who have hosted Traveling Exhibits knows how easy the exhibits are to install and display. If you aren't familiar with how easy Traveling Exhibits are to work with, watch this short installation video below and you'll see just how doable this can be.
I can customize your exhibitshare program for as many weeks as you'd like. I'll ship the exhibit to the first school in your lineup and schedule the FedEx pick up from the last. This is a great way to keep the costs down and an opportunity to share resources. Please keep in mind that I've got a lot of great information available such as power point presentations, digital catalogs, handouts and press coverage from around the country to send you to present an exhibit presentation for district meetings or local business owners. What do you think? Any questions send me an email @ exhibits@teachersdiscovery.com

It's So Easy Installation Video

Q. How do you hang a Teacher's Discovery Traveling Exhibit?
A. Watch this short video sent to us by art teacher Jennifer Love-Gironda of Wintergreen Primary School in Greenville, NC. While hosting our Gorgeous Henri Rousseau exhibit Jennifer had taken the time to make this step by step installation video and has done a terrific job of showing us all how easy it is to install an exhibit.
Thanks Jennifer!

The Civil War Exhibit Inspired Many at the Tipton County Public Library

Tipton County Public Library in Tipton, IN hosted our Civil War Traveling Exhibit the week of May 11 - 15th.
Librarian Kendra Hummel has gifted awe and inspiration to many patrons and students with our stunning exhibit which features photographs from this very important period of our American History . TCPL's activities while hosting the exhibit included reenactments, soldier's in uniform, field gear, ball gowns and book displays. TCPL invited in over 200 5th and 8th graders from local schools to take part in the libraries many activities.
See how fun learning about American History can be? Way to go Kendra!

So Nice to Meet You at the NAEA in MN April 2009

I just had to take a moment to say how nice it was meeting you all at the National Art Education Conference in Minneapolis, MN this past April. I'm so grateful for having the opportunity to meet many teachers that I've had the pleasure of working with and feel as though I have made friends with around the country. Also, it was an awsome opportunity to meet so many art educators that haven't seen nor heard of Traveling Exhibits that were wowed. How Exciting!
The NAEA was a huge success and we were proud to be able to attend and represent Art Teacher's Discovery and Traveling Exhibits. See you in Boston next year.

ArtWise Hosts Traveling Exhibits for their Elementary Art Show in ND

Traveling Exhibits is proud to announce that we were a part of ArtWise's Really Big Elementary Art Show in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Check out our Fabulous Antoni Gaudi exhibit displayed near an architecture workshop. ArtWise seeks to give children an opportunity to explore their unique abilities through the visual arts; to foster self-esteem; to increase the community's awareness of, appreciation for, and participation in, the visual arts activities in Grand Forks.
Bravo ArtWise.

NAEA Here we Come............

Traveling Exhibits is proud to announce that we will be making our debut at the National Art Education Conference in Minneapolis, MN April 18 - 20. If you will be attending the conference, please stop by our booth and say hello. We've got a lot to share with you regarding our New Exhibit Share Programs, our Student Art Experience, Funding Ideas and how our Spectacular Exhibits have gifted Awe and Inspiration to Many! We will also have available for purchase our Activity Packs, Art Career Posters, Artist Quote Cling Sets and many more of our Art Teacher' s Discovery products to help teach the exhibit content along with some fun stuff to express your art inspired interests and tastes. I'll look forward to seeing you there.
Lisa ~ Your Traveling Exhibits Coordinator

Silent Reflections with Monet .......

Newton Razor's Elementary Art Teacher Kristen shared with me their Monet exhibit experience, This picture is of one of her first grade classes. She told me that she has no idea what prompted it but, her students spontaneously, in silent unison, dropped to their knees, It was amazing..... Here's also what Kristen had to say about Newton Razor's Monet exhibit experience.
Hello, Lisa! Here's how we experienced Monet...

I started teaching a Monet unit a couple of weeks before we received the exhibit. We focused on his waterlilies and we talked about French culture, geography, etc. (Our school is an International Baccalaureate candidate school, and one of our main focuses is teaching multiculturalism. All our Special Areas...Art, PE, Music...are highlighting one country each 6 weeks. This was France's turn. Of course, we study other countries in addition to those 6.)

When the exhibit arrived, we had already discussed the Impressionist movement and how it changed the art world, and we had started our own Monet-inspired paintings. One of the coolest things for the students was to see Monet's work up close to really get the effect of Impressionism. I spent the week taking all of my classes to our temporary Monet museum. We studied the exhibit up close first, then backed away to get the full effect. That really made an impact on my students! They had many questions about Monet, so we posted a "Wonder Wall" at the exhibit where we could post the kids' questions. (Inquiry based learning is a big thing at our school!) Their assignment was to see how many of the questions they could find answers for.

We also made posters thanking the PTA for sponsoring the exhibit, which we posted around school the week of the exhibit...this also served as an invitation for parents and visitors to enjoy the exhibit while we had it. We also posted some basic information about Monet by the exhibit in case my students weren't there to answer their questions.

That's about it. It was a vary meaningful experience for my students. We don't have any large museums in Denton, so for some of my students this was a first experience for them.

We're looking forward to hosting Diego Rivera the first week of May. We always have a big Cinco de Mayo celebration!

Thanks for your help,

Kristin

Hal & the Eco-Maniacs Encourage Us All to Be the Change, to Be Green

Hal Lederman and his Principal Dr. Joyce Raynor from SSDSEU aka Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex & Union in West Orange, NJ have set an exemplary example of Being the Change and Being Green to their students, staff and community. They host an annual Community Service Day at their school and this year our Global Warming Traveling Exhibit was a beautiful and informative addition to their program. Hal was kind enough to provide me with a photo album featuring lots of students working hard together, student artwork using recycled materials and many other activities. There are some really great ideas here that will insire you, your students and staff . http://picasaweb.google.com/hlederman/Jan212009# When I read Hal's email, I decided that he's definitely the one who should be telling you his story. So with that being said, here's Hal in his own words.

Normally I teach 11th grade U.S. history and a senior year economics elective. Growing up in New Jersey, my family and I started to recycle glass and aluminum in the 1960s. During my college days I became an avid backpacker and when I became a teacher, I often organized and participated in outdoor educational programs and clubs. Three years ago I was asked by our principal, Dr. Joyce Raynor, to form and advise a school-wide environmental program that would include a student club (we call ourselves the Eco-Maniacs). Dr. Raynor is so committed to the environment that she won't turn on the light in her office! With her support, we embarked on an aggressive campaign to "green" our school. Since the club's inception, we have achieved the following:

1. Put our trash hauling contract up for competitive bid and found a hauler who would also properly dispose of our recyclables, including paper, corrugated boxes, plastic, aluminum, glass, and steel cans at a cost savings of $9000 annually from that of a previous hauler,

2. Purchased individual classroom and office recycling containers for paper, co-mingled containers, and trash,

3. Developed a school-wide educational program on the proper disposal of school waste, including annual waste audits,

4. Through Rutgers University, instituted the purchase of multi-purpose paper with a recycled content of 30% post-consumer paper,

5. Introduced recycled facial tissue and bathroom paper,

5. Replaced standard cleaning products with green seal cleaners,

6. Replaced standard fluorescent tubes with energy efficient T-1 bulbs,

7. Purchase our electricity from a provider who uses renewable resources,

8. Instituted battery and computer recycling programs, and

9. Achieved Green Office certification.

Our goals for this year include:

1. Building an outdoor composting site and educating students about composting,

2. Replacing disposable utensils, paper plates, napkins, and Styrofoam cups with environmentally friendly products, and

3. Retiring Styrofoam trays, aluminum foil products, and chopsticks used by our food service.

Our school works closely with an organization called Green Flag Green Faith: http://www.greenfaith.org/

I hope that answers your questions. In March our history department takes the juniors to Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and New York's Lower East Side. Hopefully, I will be able to rent the Ellis Island traveling exhibit. Meanwhile, the Global Warming kits was phenomenal and many were disappointed when it was taken down.

I hope that sharing this inspirational story will encourage you to be the change in your school.
If your school is Green then lets hear about it. Inspired Minds Want to Know.
Lisa ~ Your Traveling Exhibits Coordinator

Teacher's Choice Awards, What's Your Vote?

I am so proud to tell you that our Vincent van Gogh and Ellis Island Traveling Exhibits are both winners of 2008 Teacher's Choice Awards. They are currently featured in Learning Magazine here's a link for a free copy and they have a great website too. This publication is a great tool to have when planning for your funding, whether you're writing grant proposals, contacting local business owners, or art and education foundations. Just a little FYI, there.
On another note,
The Teacher's Choice Awards are coming soon, I'm thinking that we should definitely submit the M.C. Escher Traveling Exhibit. What do you think? You are hosting these exhibits, which are your favorites? I'll look forward to your comments.

Traveling Exhibits visits Harbor Beach, Michigan

For my very first blog I have to tell you about a road trip that I had last Spring. A visit with Spanish Teacher Jon Fruytier at Harbor Beach Community School while they were hosting their finale of a nine exhibit experience with the Vincent van Gogh Traveling Exhibit in May of 2008. Harbor Beach, Michigan is a quaint, small town in the tip of the thumb on Lake Huron. With that being said, too far for a museum field trip to the DIA in Detroit. Jon was inspired, came up with a plan and has brought the museum experience into his home town via Fed Ex. Jon has been hosting the exhibits in his school for the last two years now, with 10 reserved for this year.
"How has he done this?" you ask. First, by giving local business owners the opportunity to fund the exhibits for their community school. He was inspired by our exhibits so much that he stepped out of the box and approached the local vet and rotary club for funding and that's how it started. He expressed the need and importance of the exhibit experience for his students and his community. And second, by using our press kits that we provide for the exhibits. Jon contacted the local papers and radio stations; which did a fabulous job publicizing the Traveling Exhibits and their sponsors. Jon has hosted field trips for schools in nearby districts and has also opened up the school to the public during certain hours of the day to view the exhibits.
In my exhibits road trip I was able to experience just what an impact the Traveling Exhibits have on students of all ages. It was obvious that these kids have been learning from this larger than life size exhibit and retaining the information. Kindergartners to upper level students where raising their hands with excitement to answer questions about Vincent van Gogh and his artwork and took pride in telling their interpretations on the pieces of art. They enjoyed teaching me about van Gogh. I was also able to see how our free download materials that we offer such as the Did You Know posters are displayed and can be useful tools in making art personal and more interesting with trivia and fun facts, provoking the hmm factor...
I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to see first hand the Traveling Exhibit Experience and to work along side such dedicated educators like Jon Fruytier and so many of you reading this blog. If you'd like to read more about Jon Fruytier and Harbor Beach, MI here are some links to just a couple of his press releases.
http://www.michigansthumb.com/articles/2008/11/10/news/features/doc49185c56821fc919204668.txt

http://www.michigansthumb.com/articles/2008/11/10/news/features/doc49185c56821fc919204668.txt