A revolutionary new community arts curriculum program for high school and college students, the Visionary School focuses on the development of cultural and civic leadership through the creation of collaborative public art projects, exhibitions and special events. The Visionary School engages a diverse group of students representing multiple-disciplines, and promotes healthy development by introducing students to art, to one another, to innovative curricula, to contemporary social concerns and to the artistic possibilities of their shared environment. Students are guided through hands-on processes of creating public art projects, from idea initiation and planning to object making and installation.
Students learn how art can affect all aspects of the community and how to apply these concepts to their academic learning. A new class is formed each term, potentially involving 60-75 students per school year, and resulting in the completion of two-three public art projects. The class meets at the school and at the Museum’s new LAB space in downtown Lowell. Professional artists and educators teach all classes, aided by interns. Students are guided to develop their own individual talents within the “team,” and are encouraged to express their creative vision and individual identity. An important goal of the Visionary School is the selection of public art project themes. There are off-site and in-class assignments to encourage students to analyze and integrate their ideas with participating artists and community members. The curriculum provides students with artistic, technical, social, administrative and marketing skills, allowing them to experience the range of skills necessary to accomplish successful public art projects. Students also gain the ability to analyze their own strengths and weaknesses, to set personal and vocational goals, and gain the confidence, motivation and abilities to carry them out while being able to participate in community life and to affect positive social change. Each project incorporates specially-designed publicity using a wide range of media, including print, video, electronic newsletters, artists' books, etc. The promotion and marketing of each public artwork not only offers a platform for publicity and visibility, but also gives students a sense of pride and recognition of their creative accomplishments that reinforces the fact that they have contributed positively to the community. |
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