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MAY 2004

Studio Museum in Harlem Reaches Out
by Sybil Maimin

Among the many exciting initiatives created by the Studio Museum in Harlem (SMH) to further its mission of interacting with the community and making art accessible to all, is “Expanding the Walls” (ETW). A unique intergenerational program, ETW brings youth, seniors, and families together around the art of James VanDerZee, the famed photographer whose extensive and important work in the Museum's collections records a rich and vibrant Harlem during the first half of the twentieth century. The youth component of ETW is intensive and comprehensive. During an eight-month (January through August) period, about 15 high school students meet with SMH curators, educators, artists-in-residence, and guest speakers to learn about art, museums, photography, American history and culture, community and identity, and communication and leadership skills. Their commitment to the project is seven hours a week during the school year and twenty hours a week during the summer. Photography plays a major role. Elderly residents of local senior centers meet with the youth and share their experiences using the VanDerZee images as jumping off points for their own stories of life in the community. The Museum provides special visiting days for seniors and during the summer ETW youth serve as their guides. SMH also believes parents and children can bond over art and offers various hands-on art-making activities for families as well as interactive tours of the VanDerZee and other museum exhibits and walks in the Harlem neighborhood. Some of the tours are led by ETW youth. The Museum reaches out to its membership, community organizations and schools for participants in these programs.

Expanding the Walls began in 2001 and grew out of a desire, shared by many museums, to reach beyond the traditional museum visitor. SMH, in particular, felt a need to develop relationships with the youth, seniors and families in its Harlem neighborhood, especially long-time residents, and determined that interactive, non-traditional programs would best accomplish this goal. The renowned VanDerZee photo archive has proven to be an ideal catalyst for the bringing together of generations and for discussions of art, history, culture, and social movements.#

The Studio Museum in Harlem is at 144 West 125th Street. Telephone is (212) 864-4500.

Education Update, Inc.
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