Teacher/Student Programs Brochure 2015-2016

student & teacher

PROGRAMS

2015-16

HELLO EDUCATOR, Thank you for your interest in the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. We really appreciate what you do for the children and families of this community. Please know that the Dixon is here to inspire and engage your students but also to assist you with your projects and lessons.

We trust that this booklet will help you plan your museum visits, outreach visits, special programs and more.

The first section of this publication features the programs we offer At the Dixon, including tours and hands-on programs. The second part takes you to our outreach programs and explains what the Dixon can do In Your Classroom. Information For Educators can be found in the final part of the brochure. For each section, you will see information about grade appropriate activities, themes, how to make a reservation and what to expect. We are here for you, please don’t hesitate to email us or call us at any time. Have a great Dixon experience and a wonderful 2015-2016 school year!

MARGARITA SANDINO Director of Education | msandino@dixon.org

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about the

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS FOUNDED IN 1976 by Hugo and Margaret Dixon, the Dixon Gallery and Gardens is a fine art museum and public garden distinguished by its diverse and innovative programs in the arts and horticulture.

The Dixon features a permanent collection of over 2,000 objects, including French and American Impressionist paintings and significant holdings of German and English porcelain.

The museum organizes and presents eight to ten exhibitions every year, the diversity of which appeals to visitors of all ages.

The Dixon’s seventeen acre campus is a highly regarded public garden that includes formal spaces, woodland tracts, and cutting gardens.

The Dixon is accredited by the American Alliance Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association and Botanical Gardens Conservation International.

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AT THE DIXON When planning a trip to the Dixon with your students, you have many options. The Dixon offers tours for both galleries and gardens. Please keep in mind that the number of students will play a big part in what type of tour is best for your group. Visits should be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.

SELF-GUIDED TOURS ALL GRADE LEVELS MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE: 25 COST: Free with advance registration REQUIREMENTS: Pre-K–Grade 5: 1:5 adult/student ratio Grades 6-12: 1:7 adult/student ratio Self-guided tours encourage teachers to take charge of the visit and walk the students through the galleries themselves. When arriving at the museum, the group will have an orientation that gives a brief overview of the Dixon history and collections.

Teachers are welcome to come to the museum prior to the group visit and explore the different exhibitions, selecting specific areas or works of art. By request, you can schedule a short meeting with a member of the education department to help you design your tour and provide you with materials.

GUIDED TOURS ALL GRADE LEVELS MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE: 20 COST: Free with advance registration REQUIREMENTS: Pre-K–Grade 5: 1:5 adult/student ratio Grades 6-12: 1:7 adult/student ratio Your students can enjoy a unique tour in the galleries or gardens lead by a Dixon docent. These tours emphasize critical thinking and visual literacy skills and encourage curiosity and communication. Dixon docents are trained in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), a school curriculum and teaching method to facilitate open-ended discussions with students.

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DIXON DISCOVERIES PRE-K–GRADE 5 WHEN: Weekday mornings beginning at 10:00 a.m.

MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE: 50 students COST: Free REQUIREMENTS: 1:5 adult/student ratio This one hour session includes an interactive tour of the galleries or gardens followed by a hands-on activity. Each session is designed to meet Common Core Standards and help with your units of study. A Dixon Discoveries garden tour and activity is available March through October.

GROUP SKETCHING GRADES 6-12 MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE: 25 COST: Free, including supplies REQUIREMENTS: 1:7 adult/student ratio As part of your self guided tour, you can request supplies to sketch in the galleries or gardens. The supplies will include papers or sketchpads, clipboards, and pencils.

The materials will be prepared and waiting for your group at the front desk. Group sketching must be requested when you make your reservation.

DIXON EXPRESS

Student transportation funding program The Dixon Express is a resource for Shelby County Schools’ educators and their students. Groups planning to visit the Dixon during the school year can apply to receive funding for student transportation for one visit. There is a limit on how much we can allot to each school, so please keep in mind that we can only help pay for one bus. The completed application is due two weeks prior to your museum visit.

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IN YOUR CLASSROOM The colorful Art to Grow van and its talented and creative instructors visit your students bringing art and nature to your learning space. The curriculum offered provides stimulating and creative experiences that teach art concepts, techniques, and history.

Each lesson includes a presentation on your selected topic and a hands-on activity.

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WHO CAN USE ART TO GROW? • Pre-K through 8th Grade teachers • Shelby County Schools • Charter Schools • Private and parochial schools

WHEN: • Tuesday through Friday from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• Teachers can make one reservation for their class, per school year.

• Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis.

• The Dixon requires at least two sessions per school each visit.

HOW: • Each lesson lasts between 30 and 45 minutes.

• The Art to Grow instructor can present multiple lessons per day depending on location and school hours.

COST: Art to Grow is a FREE program. All supplies for your visit will be provided; it is the Dixon’s gift to the community.

HOW DO I MAKE A RESERVATION? Submit an online reservation request at www.dixon.org/art-to-grow or email the Dixon’s Outreach Coordinator, Christan Allen at callen@dixon.org.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? • After you have submitted your request you will be contacted by the Art to Grow instructor confirming the date and time of your visit.

• A booking has not been made unless you receive confirmation from the instructor.

•P lease be patient; this may take a few days.

POLICIES & REGULATIONS • The classroom teacher must remain in the classroom during their Art to Grow visit.

• Contact the Art to Grow instructor with any cancellations at least two weeks prior to your visit.

• Please participate in the lesson by helping the Art to Grow instructor with set up and clean up and with classroom management. Refrain from using electronic devices.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE ABOVE MAY JEOPARDIZE YOUR CHANCES OF BOOKING FUTURE ART TO GROW VISITS.

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IN YOUR CLASSROOM:

LESSONS

NOW CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC. Lessons are grade specific and will give students the opportunity to use age appropriate tools and techniques. The lessons are inspired by our current exhibitions and collections. All lessons adhere to the Common Core Standards. The following lessons are for Pre-K through 8th Grade and are available throughout the school year. They are adapted to suit your grade level.

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THE PERMANENT COLLECTION

THE LIVING COLLECTION

SPECIAL DIXON EXHIBITIONS

Objective: Students will be inspired by a work of art from the Dixon’s permanent collection; they will learn about the artist, investigate different techniques, and produce their own masterpiece.

Objective: Students will explore an element of the gardens and work with exciting art materials to create an original piece.

Students will learn about specific types of trees, plants, or animals living in the Dixon gardens. They will look at the effect of the changing seasons, wildlife, habitats, and the importance and impact plants have on the environment.

Objective: Students will be inspired by a work of art or a group of artworks in the Dixon’s current exhibition(s). Students learn about the artists and their biographies in the grander scale of art history. Using the current exhibition(s) as inspiration, students will create their own art using similar techniques and processes.

The students also learn the difference between a permanent and temporary collection in a museum setting. This lesson changes seasonally based on what exhibition(s) the Dixon is currently hosting.

The Dixon’s permanent collection has over 2000 works of art. This includes works on paper, sculptures, decorative arts objects, and works by Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.

The collection features artists such as Monet, Matisse, Degas, Renoir, and more!

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens is a certified Level IV (four) arboretum with more than 120 identified species of trees.

For a more detailed look at each lesson, please visit www.dixon.org/art-to-grow.

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SUMMER Art to Grow also operates during May through July. During these summer months, the Art to Grow program is available to libraries, summer camps, daycares, and other educational organizations.

The Art to Grow summer lesson varies each year and is dependent on what special exhibition(s) the Dixon is currently hosting. o make a reservation, please T visit www.dixon.org/art-to-grow or email Outreach Coordinator, Christan Allen at callen@dixon.org.

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FOR EDUCATORS

TEACHER PACKETS Visit the Dixon’s website, www.dixon.org, and find lesson plans inspired by its collections and special exhibitions. Complement your visit to the Dixon with pre- and post-visit lessons and activities that will engage your students and target specific standards.

FINE ARTS PORTFOLIO FOR STUDENT GROWTH TEACHER WORKSHOP Spruce up your Fine Arts Evaluation Portfolio!

The Dixon, in partnership with Shelby County Schools, offers special workshops to SCS art educators interested in improving and expanding their Fine Arts Portfolio for Student Growth. Designed to show student growth, the sessions target specific portfolio domains and Common Core standards. The lessons presented are inspired by the Dixon’s art exhibitions and incorporated during these sessions.

All the materials are included.

DATES: November 14, 2015 January 30, 2016 March 5, 2016

TIME: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

COST: Free

Space limited. Registration required. To register please contact Margarita Sandino at msandino@dixon.org.

THE DIXON IS FREE FOR EDUCATORS! All educators with ID in Shelby County receive free regular admission to the Dixon.

Come visit and enjoy the beautiful exhibitions and gardens, you deserve it. While you are here, feel free to reach out to the education department; we would love to meet you and help you identify new ways to connect with your students during your group visits.

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DIXON CONTACTS AMANDA BJORKLUND

ERICA McCARRENS

Group Tour Coordinator abjorklund@dixon.org 901.761.5250

Student Program Coordinator Dixon Discoveries emccarrens@dixon.org

CHRISTAN ALLEN

EVE COOPER

Outreach Coordinator Art to Grow callen@dixon.org

Art Instructor ecooper@dixon.org

MARGARITA SANDINO

Director of Education msandino@dixon.org

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STUDENT PROGRAMS ARE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF: BNSF Railway John Dustin Buckman Charitable Trust FedEx Corporation Martha & Robert Fogelman Bradley & Robert Fogelman II International Paper Foundation

2015-16