Why did several undergraduate first year composition classes at Buffalo State College investigate how a contemporary/art museum like Burchfield Penney Art Center and Albright Knox Art Gallery play a pivotal role in the new educational landscape that is rising in the United States? There are several reasons.
One, Dr. Anthony Bannon, Director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo State’s next door neighbor, had a mission to work with the college to “energize and engage” (“The museum history,” 2013) the students. He felt this mission could be improved.
Second, the college professor researched the importance of contemporary/modern art museums and their connection to education, and discovered experts like Scott Kratz, Vice President for Education, National Building Museum, and Elizabeth Merritt, Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums (CFM) who believe modern/contemporary art museums like Burchfield Penney Art Center, with ties to the community and exhibits from local artists, not only provide a unique aesthetic experience (Dewey, 1932) and educational opportunities for all age levels, but will be part of the new pathway in education.
Third, the overarching goals for the composition writing course is to develop the students’ “skills for: critical thinking; synthesizing information; being to apply lessons to the real world; innovation and creativity; and teamwork and collaboration” (Trilling and Fadel, 2009) through argumentative/research writing.
Further, while Kratz and Merritt had written extensively about the importance of museums, there was no research about the significance of Burchfield Penney Art Center and its role as an educator. So, this fall over seventy first year Buffalo State college students embarked on a journey to discover for themselves the Burchfield Penney modern/contemporary art center and its role as an educator.
Catherine Mettille, lecturer in Buffalo State's Writing Program
Some of their reflections are provided below:
Excerpts from October 30, 2013 Blogs
Lynn Poltowicz
That’s the main point of this whole assignment; to foster lifelong learning through museums and to get people to gain an appreciation for art. Before I stepped foot in The Burchfield Penney and Albright-Knox, I really thought that art was just meant for a certain select few people who have an affinity for that “stuff”. But, after my experiences with all of the lectures and tours that we have taken I have truly learned that museums are rich in history and allow people to be so creative in the ways that they interpret what they see and that is what makes it so intriguing and a great way to learn. One cannot be wrong with their interpretation of art and that fact alone is so great because in math or science there is only one answer but in art there are infinite possibilities
Claudette Williams
My view is that museums are a great factor to lifelong learners. Though I concede that museums have a very fun approach, I maintain that knowledge can still come out of it. Who said learning had to be boring? Although some might object that with too much fun comes distraction, I would reply that museums do a great job at grasping ones attention one way or another. The issue is important because museums aren’t getting the proper support to stay funded because people find them unimportant. Without the funds, these museums will no longer exist. What firsthand experience will students be able to take part in without museums?
Joycelyn Kelly
Although some might object that the one-way directed formal educational system is the traditional and proper way for students to learn, I would reply that no student learns best in the exact same way. Therefore, meeting federal/state learning standards through traditional, as well as a wide range of nontraditional, educational resources would generally be beneficial to students. The issue is important because the educational content and the means by which students learn will shape the future of virtually every aspect of our country, such as its workforce, economy, politics, and how the knowledge/intelligence of our students compares to that of students in other industrialized nations around the world.
Aina Oluwaseyi
My view is that museums have potential to make learning about art and history more engaging. Though I concede that museums are under appreciated, I maintain that they provide important resources for the community. For example, the museums have M&T Fridays, docent tours, docent training programs, lectures in art, public speaking, book clubs, and workshops on the history of museums and the transition from the Renaissance to the present. Although some might object that museums cannot make education progress, I would reply that it can with the support of reformers, policy makers, and practitioners. The issue is important because these museums hold the culture of Western New York.
Tia Wright
My view is that art museums are helpful and I believe that they should be incorporated into everyday learning. Though I concede that traditional learning is a significant part of education, I maintain that art museums should be used more frequently and not completely excluded from being considered an educational resource. For example, teachers can continue with their in-classroom teaching but why not allow a few field trips once in a while to art centers and give students a little personal experience and let them decide the importance of art for themselves. Although some might object that doing such activities will not offer much valuable information, I would reply that art is a much more powerful component of learning than we think, and both styles of education are convenient to student’s education. The issue is important because I think that students need different ways to learn otherwise we get bored. Art museums provide a learning experience as well as enjoyment to students.
Tylique Darnley
My view is that New York should fund art museums such as the Albright-Knox and the Burchfield Penney because I think they increase critical thinking in students. Though I concede that art museums aren’t the only way to change the educational system, I maintain that art museums are a good way to begin.
Sarah Illuzzi
On the one hand some argue that in the future museums will be a hub for progressive education. From this perspective Kratz and Merritt are saying that the time of the teacher and student has passed, and museums are the future that will promote learning and foster a passion for it. On the other hand, others argue that museums do not foster education and they are just for works of art and creativity, but a teacher is needed to foster education. In the words of Jessica DiPalma the Albright is "able to tell and teach the story of modern art through the works." In other words, art can teach us something all on its own; we do not need another person to teach it to us. Dr. Bannon states "art should pull the rug out from under you." By that he means it should cause you to think and by thinking you should be learning. In conclusion, the issue is whether art museums will be the future of education or whether teachers will remain the only educators. My view is that museums will be the future of education, and I believe that due to the museum visits and lectures. Dennis Galucki's lecture inspired me to believe that because of how interested he is in the history of the Albright Knox and how he is a lifelong learner. Though I concede that teachers are still a major part of learning because not everyone can learn visually, I maintain that visual literacy is a key component to learning and grasping material. I believe by viewing the art at these galleries people will most likely expand their knowledge and thinking skills. For example, the Marilyn exhibit. The exhibit caused me to critically think about history and put myself in her time period. I was at an art gallery thinking about history, which just shows how art museums can cause one to think about other things besides art as well. The issue is important because education and a passion for learning are the keys to success in the world today. If one has a passion for learning they can do anything they set their mind to. In the words of a successful lifelong learner, Dennis Galucki, all he did was "pursue an idea." The art galleries can cause people to come up with their own ideas to pursue.
Conclusion
Why did the undergraduate writing class study a museum like Burchfield Penney for a semester? Because it provides a unique and fresh opportunity for students to develop the skills identified by the 21st Century Skills Partnership that include: “critical thinking; synthesizing information; being to apply lessons to the real world; innovation and creativity; and teamwork and collaboration” (Trilling and Fadel, 2009). And it is this professor’s opinion that these skills need to be mastered if these students are to stay competitive with global industry in an electronic age. While there is still an important place for content based learning, students need to learn how to slow down and analyze the information they are daily bombarded with through the internet and social media. One way to slow down the process is through analytical writing.
Further, that this topic provided an opportunity for Buffalo College First Year writing students to become part of their academic community by connecting with Burchfield Penney by exploring the exhibits through what John Dewey, Father of Progressive Education, called the “aesthetic experience” (Dewey, 1934). Finally, one group of students conducted a blind survey and found that there was a 17% rise in interest in attending the Burchfield Penney among the 70 plus students polled in as a result of going there as a class (Wiggins, et.al., 2013) and exploring the topic for themselves. Therefore, while no previous research reflecting the significance of Burchfield Penney Art Center and its role as an educator in the evolving new educational trail; it is the opinion of many of the first year students at Buffalo State College who researched the topic in the composition class, that Burchfield Penney Art Center is a part of the new pathway in education.