Mantua – For the second year in a row, fifth grade students and parents from Crestwood Intermediate School toured the Cleveland Museum of Art during two special Saturday field trips in early spring. Crestwood Intermediate Art teacher Patty Timbrook received the grants, which funded the trips, from the Hiram Community Trust.
Each grant covered the cost to transport two groups of students and chaperones to the museum. In addition, each grant also provided funds for three Ipads to allow students to research the trip, and to use during the excursions. After the field trips, the iPads are used regularly in Timbrook’s CIS art classroom. According to Timbrook, “Last year’s students created a digital album of the CMA’s Egyptian collection in preparation for their trip to the museum. Students shared this album with the trip chaperone on the bus on the way to Cleveland.”
For many students and parents, this was the first time they had been at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Several parents hadn’t visited the museum since they were children and were awestruck by the changes what they saw. Timbrook marveled, “Many people mentioned that they will go back; that they were interested in the other museums in Cleveland, as well as other art museums in nearby cities, which was one of goals of this program.”
To prepare students for the trip, Timbrook showed short videos and photos of pieces from the museum’s collection on Ipads, which prompted discussions about what students would see there. Timbrook explained to students that people come from all over the world to see what CMA has to offer, but that her lucky group can get there in just a short ride.
At the museum the group was free to view any galleries during the visit. Timbrook remarked, “They loved the Egyptian gallery since we do a lengthy mummy and Egyptian project in the art room. Next year I plan on having a scavenger hunt at the museum – find Monet’s water lilies, Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe etc.”
The trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art is limited to fifth graders, and is funded through the Hiram Community Trust. Each year, Timbrook leads groups of third graders through the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown. Fourth graders visit the Akron Art Museum. In addition, during NEOEA Day in October, she took 20 Intermediate, Middle and High School students and a few parents to KSU and Hiram College to tour their art facilities. Students toured the facilities and watched artist demonstrations in the various studios. This program was funded by the Hiram Community Trust, as well, and offered gifted art students with a great introduction to potential college majors in that field.
“I think it is essential that kids learn about other cultures, history, art history, and about themselves through art education and by seeing this outside of the classroom at our local museums. They can’t take it all in through one visit but I feel that I planted the seed,” beamed Timbrook.
Alyssa Perez and her parents investigate an exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art through a Crestwood Intermediate School program funded by the Hiram Community Trust.
Photo provided by Patty Timbrook
