OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi Museum has been awarded a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission to expand its Traveling Trunk program.
The $700 grant is a portion of the $1.5 million in grants the commission will award in 2012-2013. MAC grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Malcolm White, executive director of MAC, said the grants help these organizations tell the “unique story of their community, and to reinforce the value of building a creative economy.”
“These groups prove that arts programs are vital to stimulate economic growth. Additionally, the arts provide a positive environment for learning, both in the classroom and in the community.” White said.Emily Dean, the museum program coordinator, said, “The direct impact of this grant will be very visible through the increased number of students that will now be reached through our outreach programming. We are excited for this opportunity to take museum-based learning far beyond the walls of the museum itself.”
“The Traveling Trunk program is a unique program that transports lessons based on the museum’s collections and exhibitions into the classroom at no cost to schools,” Dean said.
Each Traveling Trunk contains a lesson plan designed to meet Mississippi curriculum standards, examples of artifacts on the subject, and all of the supplies needed for the art project. Currently available trunks include Folk Art, Greek and Roman Art, Theora Hamblett, African Art, Walter Anderson, and Chinese Art. The trunks can be checked out on loan, and museum educators are available travel to teach the lesson within a one-hour radius.
What more, the MAC grant, allowed for a new trunk to be available related to the upcoming exhibition, “Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art,” from the Museum for African Art in New York, Dean said.
Dean added that the UM Museum strives to engage audiences of all ages through new exhibitions, events, lectures, and programming.
For example, the museum’s education department makes learning about art enjoyable and intellectually stimulating through a wide array of programs for all audiences: first-time visitors; families with young children; students on a class visit or teachers seeking guidance in incorporating art into school curricula, she said.
Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, the Phil Hardin Foundation, the Riley Foundation, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, and other private sources. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and art education.
UM Museum is at the intersection of University Avenue and Fifth Street in Oxford.
To find out more about the Traveling Trunk program, call 662-915-7073. For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7084.