Art in Society
Art in Society: Nebraska
Art in Society (AiS) is an art-education outreach program designed to develop middle- and high-school students’ ability to speak about art, think critically, and learn art-making skills.
AiS begins with a discussion about artwork, whether in a Sheldon Statewide venue, at the museum itself, or off-site. Students from all disciplines work with teaching artists and learn to use their own observations, experiences, and associations to read works of art.
These discussions become the basis for three workshops (one to two hours each) in the classrooms of participating schools or facilities. With the teaching artist’s guidance, students individually respond to the exhibition by creating art.
In the final session, students learn to read one another’s work and discuss how it connects to their everyday lives and addresses the lessons of the exhibition.
AiS is unique among art-education programs. While it teaches art making, visual literacy, and art appreciation, it also does something more. It not only shows that art is a special field of education, but that it is integral to everyday life and necessary to understand as part of living in society. Learning to think critically about art can teach students to connect beauty and justice, art and civic-mindedness.
For more about Art in Society: Nebraska, which serves communities that participate in the Sheldon Statewide exhibition program, contact Sarah Feit at sfeit2@unl.edu
or 402-472-4524.
For more about Art in Society: Lincoln, which serves schools in and around Lincoln, contact Greg Nosan at gnosan2@unl.edu or 402-942-9426.
Program support provided by the Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska Cultural Endowment.
