Picturing America in Atlanta

FAIN: BA-50023-09

High Museum of Art (Atlanta, GA 30309-3420)
Lisa Hooten (Project Director: January 2009 to November 2009)

The applicant requested a Chairman's grant of $24,850 to run a two-day in-service workshop that focuses on the images and themes of Picturing America (PA), together with the PA Teachers Resource Book. The workshop, taking place in Spring 2009, will serve approximately 175 teachers and librarians from the Atlanta Public Schools, which have adopted PA system-wide. The teachers will be drawn from arts, humanities, and social studies fields, with the goal of advancing instruction in American history, civics, government, literature, and culture. The distinguished American collection of the High Museum of Art will receive attention for its relevance to the PA portfolio. However, the primary emphasis and the majority of time will be spent on actual PA reproductions and the Teachers Resource Book. The workshop presenters, who are well-established humanities scholars from Atlanta universities, will impart rich humanities content and background knowledge to participants. Training in basic visual analysis of art objects will be included. The themes of Picturing America-Leadership, Freedom and Equality, Democracy, Courage, Landscape, Creativity and Ingenuity-will inform presentations and discussions; and the workshop will devote approximately equal attention to works chronologically. The NEH Chairman's Grant of $24,850 will cover the total budget for running this workshop, including modest teacher stipends and working lunches, speakers' honoraria, and museum staff and facilities.

Teachers and librarians from the Atlanta Public school district will attend a Picturing America training institute in May 2009 at the high Museum of Art. Teachers will learn how to use the resource in their classroom. the course will be taught through lectures, group and individual lessons and gallery tours.