A Collaborative Journey: The Museum as an Art Classroom
“The Norton partnership gives our students an opportunity to learn from curators and artists outside the classroom, exposing students to new ways of thinking and making… Our students are so fortunate to have these varied experiences to draw upon while creating their own artwork and the opportunity to become part of the museum community as both patrons and exhibiting artists.”
-Sarah Knudtson, Art Teacher, Jupiter Community High School
In this virtual exhibition, A Collaborative Journey: The Museum as an Art Classroom, fifty high-school students from Forest Hill Community High School and Jupiter Community High School created artwork based on multiple visits to the Norton. Through tours and discussions, students used the Museum as inspiration to reflect upon themes in art through diverse subject matter and a variety of media.
These special experiences included practicing how to “read” a work of art with Glenn Tomlinson, William Randolph Hearst Curator of Education, and conversations about historical and contemporary photography with Tim B. Wride, William and Sarah Ross Soter Curator of Photography. Students had the unique opportunity to meet with artists featured in the Norton’s 2020 Rudin Prize for Emerging Photographers exhibition; and as aspiring artists themselves, were able to discuss the art making process and learn from these innovative working artists from all over the world.
The students’ artwork in this virtual gallery reflects art they studied during visits to the Norton. Some students chose to connect their artwork to the permanent collection while others were inspired by special exhibitions such as The Body Says I am a Fiesta: The Figure in Latin American Art and Where? A Brief History of Photography Through Landscape. Their artworks explore many aspects of personal identity and reflect individual realities.
The Norton Museum of Art congratulates all the students who participated, and thanks Jupiter High School Assistant Principal Amber Saunders, and art teachers Sarah Knudtson and Stephen Germana, as well as Forest Hill High School Assistant Principal Mary Wilson and art teachers Kim Pirisino and Malissa Reese for their dedication to student success through the arts.
This program was made possible by the generosity of the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation Arts & Culture Fund of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.