In the wake of COVID-19 closures across the country and on our own campus, the Halsey Institute staff has been taking steps to shift our resources, staff talent, and audience services to an online format. In addition to contributing to the #MuseumfromHome online community on our social media, our Education Coordinator Sarah Berry has built educational resource packets for each of our exhibitions in the 2019-2020 season. We will continue this practice into the future as well!
The COVID-19 outbreak is proving to be a devastating time for cultural institutions around the globe, resulting in closures of museums, galleries, concert venues, and other public spaces. This pandemic has also led to school closures across the country and world, many for the rest of the academic year. Now that students are learning virtually, many parents are seeking out online resources, apps, and games to keep their children’s minds engaged at home.
With educational groups no longer coming into the Halsey Institute galleries, we have asked ourselves what we can do to help educators and parents as they navigate online learning? We decided to create educational resource packets related to past exhibitions, which are available to download at no cost. Each packet starts with background information about the artist with links to their exhibition page in our online archive. Inquiry-based discussion questions follow and are written in a way that allows for them to be adjusted according to age and grade. After discussion, viewers are encouraged to try any of the suggested activities, all of which are feasible to do at home without an extra trip to the store for supplies. Students can refer to the glossary for the definitions of art terms and are also encouraged to consider the reading list with titles available for free through the Overdrive and Hoopla applications with the Charleston County Public Library. High resolution images from the exhibition are at the end each packet and are also available on our website in the exhibition archives.
If you are a teacher, parent, or just an individual with a curiosity for contemporary art and a desire to continue learning, we encourage you to utilize these resources. Adapt them to your liking and reach out if you have any questions. If you do use these materials, share your stories with us! Please let us know by email at halsey@cofc.edu. Happy learning!
Click here to view and download the educational resource packets:
Katrina Andry: Over There and Here is Me and Me
Coulter Fussell: The Raw Materials of Escape
By Sarah Berry, education coordinator