From the 2005-2006 Annual Report
Programs - Housatonic Museum of Art
The Housatonic Museum of Art serves as guardian to one of the most significant art collections of any two-year college in New England. The permanent collection is valued at over $11 million dollars and includes works by master artists such as Rodin, Picasso, Matisse, Miro and Chagall.
Under the direction of Robbin Zella, who has been instrumental in increasing the Museum's visibility through highly attended exhibitions and special events, the Museum continues to be recognized as a major cultural resource for the Greater Bridgeport area.
One of the Museum's most highly lauded community programs is its Peer Docent Program, which partners the Museum with Bridgeport's Luis Munoz Marin Middle School and this past year, with Warren G. Harding High School as well. This popular after-school program introduces students to art and art history by teaching them how to look at art critically, and uses a variety of techniques to facilitate discussions about the meaning of art. These student docents subsequently offer tours to their peers, helping them to appreciate and evaluate art from an informed perspective. Not only does this program help to instill an appreciation for art in the students, but it equips them with visual and analytical skills that will assist them in all areas of study throughout their lifetimes.
Funding for this program has come from a number of sources. For the
past six years, the Housatonic Museum of Art received funding from the
Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism: this past year the Museum
received an award of $3,609. The Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation awarded
$10,000 for the program, and the Werth Family Foundation made an award
of $30,000 in support of the Peer Docent Program and the Museum's
Illustrating Connecticut: People, Places, and Things project catalog.
(see Upcoming Exhibitions at the HMA
web site)
September/October 2007 Illustrating Connecticut
Illustrating Connecticut has been specifically designed to highlight the
important people, places and inventions (things) for which Connecticut
is renowned. Bob Kessel, a nationally recognized illustrator and Connecticut
resident, has developed a high concept exhibit that will dovetail with
initiatives set forth in the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism’s
Strategic Plan.