MASON CITY, Iowa – Time is running out for area schools and daycares to use field trip subsides at the Charles H. MacNider Museum. By filling out a simple form at the Museum’s front desk, schools and daycares can receive up to $60 per bus after touring the MacNider. Field trip subsidies may be used for educational tours, as well as attending puppet shows.
Educational tours of the Museum are free. Trained volunteer docents lead tours of the permanent collection or temporary exhibitions, or teachers or care providers can complete their own self-guided tours. “We are happy to work with teachers to develop tours that meet their curricular needs,” explains MacNider Education Coordinator Linda Willeke. Available tours include an introduction to the MacNider, an overview of American art, Bil Baird: The World of Puppets, special exhibitions, and Prairie School Architecture.
An upcoming exhibition, Art of Africa: Objects from the Collection of Warren Robbins, provides an ideal opportunity for educational tours, as students will be able to see African art in person. With over 60 objects, including sculptures, textiles and jewelry, along with music and photographs, Art of Africa will connect with a number of subjects, such as geography, social studies, world history, and art. The exhibition is open April 21 through June 18, 2011.
Field trip subsidies may also be used for attending puppet shows held each spring and fall. Free to the public, the shows are an opportunity for children to see professional puppetry in action. On April 14, Patti Smithsonian, a guest of the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre of West Liberty, Iowa, will present Coyote’s Eyeball, a show featuring characters in worldwide constellation myths. Schools and daycares are encouraged to register for and attend the 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. shows, with the 7:00 p.m. show being open to the public.
In times of tight budgets, the MacNider is hoping to reduce the financial strain field trips may cause area schools and daycares with the field trip subsidies. “These subsidies are a way to encourage schools to visit the Museum so that children can experience art firsthand,” says Willeke. Remember to sign up soon before they are gone!
The field trip subsidies are available due to generous funding from the 3M Corporation.
Admission to the MacNider Art Museum is always free. For more information about tours, contact Linda Johnston at 641-421-3666 or visit www.macniderart.org. |
