login    password    artist  buyer  gallery  
Not a member? Register
absolutearts.com logo HOME REGISTER BUY ART SEARCH ART TRENDS COLLECT ART ART NEWS
 
 
Art News:

MATTRESS FACTORY RECEIVES MAJOR GRANT TO SHARE GROUNDBREAKING EDUCATIONAL TOOLS WITH AREA TEACHERS

You are receiving this e-mail because you are on the Mattress Factory's press list. to or update .

.

MATTRESS FACTORY RECEIVES MAJOR GRANT TO SHARE GROUNDBREAKING EDUCATIONAL TOOLS WITH AREA TEACHERS


PITTSBURGH, PA (May 1, 2013) – The Mattress Factory, the nation’s premier museum for installation art, has received an $100,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to fund innovative educational outreach in West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania schools. This grant, along with a budding partnership with West Liberty University’s Center for Arts and Education, will facilitate the museum’s provision of resources to K – 12 educators through a series of professional development workshops, access to interdisciplinary teaching aids and the support of museum staff and working artists.
 
“Art is an excellent vehicle for inspiring students to learn, said James V. Denova, Vice President of the C.W. Benedum Foundation. “Installation art, in particular, lends itself to the integration of art in the hands-on learning of several STEM disciplines, particularly math and science. In my mind, this project is emblematic of the STEAM (STEM+Art) education movement.”
 
“The Center for Arts & Education is thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with such a prestigious organization as the Mattress Factory to bring new resources to teachers in the region” said Lou Karas, Director of the Center for Arts and Education at West Liberty University. “This collaboration supports the Center’s mission to provide innovative professional development programs and services to educators, students, teaching artists and others interested in the role of the arts in Pre-K to 12th grade education.”
 
Using a set of original exploratory tools collectively called, “The Space I’m In,” participants will learn to think about how students become aware of their environment and the space around them. A coupling of instructors from the areas of art, math, science and language will enable workshop participants to relate a wide breadth of subjects and work with students to make real-world connections.
 
“The overarching goal of the Mattress Factory Education Department is to encourage our community to think more deeply about their environment, the space around them and how they can change and have an impact on the world,” said Felice Q. Cleveland, Director of Education. “Receiving this grant from the Benedum Foundation and working with West Liberty University means that we can broaden our scope and bring some of our ideas and tools to a new audience. We are excited about the possibilities, we are excited about the people we are going to meet and we are excited for what we will learn through this partnership.”
 
The Space I’m In
“The Space I’m In” is a series of interactive learning tools created by artists for the Mattress Factory. The tools relate human experience to the surrounding world, creating connections between students’ memories, sensory understanding and physical spaces, and engaging several disciplines such as math, science, language and the arts. The project consists of three tools—“Tamatebako,” “Sound Blocks,” and “The Walls”—all which explore the concept of space through exercises using all of the senses.
 
“Tamatebako,” designed by Tokyo-based artist/architect Yumi Kori, is a large-scale, enclosed fabric structure that contains columns and peepholes of various sizes and widths, with which participants can interact. “Sound Blocks,” created by Pittsburgh-based artist Jeremy Boyle, convert light into sound, urging students to manipulate the space around them to create new tones and rhythms. “The Walls” are a portable assemblage made of light-colored canvas and inflatable balls, upon which various images can be projected to alter the space. The various elements of “The Space I’m In” can be used by educators in their classrooms to present core curriculum to students through interdisciplinary experience.
 
Educators interested in “The Space I’m In” and other professional development opportunities offered by the Mattress Factory should contact education@mattress.org or call (412) 231-3169 for more information.
 
Other Educational Initiatives
The Mattress Factory provides a full schedule of educational programs throughout the year. ArtLab, offered first and third Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m., engages museum visitors of all ages through hands-on activities. Community ArtLab and Factory 14s—summer programs for youth—are scheduled for July and August. Educator workshops and in-school outreach are offered periodically by request. Visit
http://mattress.org and click on “Education” for more information.
 
About the Mattress Factory
The Mattress Factory is a museum of contemporary art that presents “art you can get in to” – room-sized environments, created by in–residence artists. Located in the historical Mexican War Streets of Pittsburgh’s North Side since 1977, the Mattress Factory is hailed as the best facility for installation art in the United States.
 
 
# # #
Mattress Factory 500 Sampsonia Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

GPS & Parking: 505 Jacksonia St., Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m.; closed Monday

Admission: $15 adults; $10 seniors; $10 full-time students with current I.D.; Free: CMU students, PPU students, PITT students (September through May), members and children under 6 years old; half-price admission Tuesday
  |  



#

YOUR FIRST STOP FOR ART ONLINE!
HELP MEDIA KIT SERVICES CONTACT


Discover over 150,000 works of contemporary art. Search by medium, subject matter, price and theme... research over 200,000 works by over 22,000 masters in the indepth art history section. Browse through new Art Blogs. Use our advanced artwork search interface.

Call for Artists, Premiere Portfolio sign-up for your Free Portfolio or create an Artist Portfolio today and sell your art at the marketplace for contemporary Art! Start a Gallery Site to exclusively showcase your gallery. Keep track of contemporary art with your free MYabsolutearts account.

 


Copyright 1995-2013. World Wide Arts Resources Corporation. All rights reserved