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Importance of Arts Revealed
Arts Specialist Marcia MacRae to
Speak at Elmhurst Art Museum
ELMHURST, Illinois – Nationally
recognized arts specialist Marcia MacRae of the DuPage Children’s
Museum will explore what the arts offer young adults and how art
influences their lives and imaginations on Wednesday, February 7
from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Elmhurst Art Museum.
This lecture is given in conjunction with the Scholastic Art Awards
exhibition, a competition for young artists that provide a means for
students to develop and display their creative skills. The
importance of arts education has received attention both statewide
and nationally stressing the need to provide all children with
access to instruction in the arts, which will encourage them to
excel academically and emphasize their creative development.
Research shows that students who receive an arts education perform
better in school and are motivated to stay in school. The
exhibition is on display at the Elmhurst Art Museum from February 4
through February 16, 2007. This
program is targeted to educators, parents and teens and is FREE with
the price of museum admission. To register, please call
630-834-0202, x 16.
Marcia
MacRae left an established career in technical theater to join the
field of arts in education twenty three years ago. Joining the
Education Department staff at Field Museum, she developed arts
integrated family programs throughout the 1980s. Realizing the power
of art in communicating educational content, she earned her Master
of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College.
After
working for several years as a freelance developer for numerous
cultural organizations throughout the Chicago area, she joined the
staff at DuPage Children’s Museum as Education Developer. Ms.
MacRae took a two year break to work for Urban Gateways: The Center
for Arts in Education as the Director of Education and Professional
Development. In this role, Ms. MacRae trained artists to work in
schools and develop seminars that helped teachers discover new ways
to bring the arts into their classrooms.
Returning to DuPage Children’s Museum as School Program Manager, she
quickly turned to exhibit and program development, creating the
first Creativity Connections art exhibition, Fish Out of
Water. As Interdisciplinary Arts Specialist, Ms. MacRae
currently develops and implements arts initiatives that will
introduce art and art making throughout the institution and its
programs. Due to the level of cutting edge research she has
guided, Ms. MacRae was recently invited to speak at the symposium
From Content to Play: Family-Oriented Interactive Spaces in Art and
History Museums at the The Getty Museum.
Founded in 1980, the Elmhurst Art Museum
completed its award-winning modern museum structure in 1997, which
contains three museum galleries, an education center and a variety
of outdoor sculpture. The structure also incorporates the Ludwig
Mies van der Rohe-designed McCormick House, one of three such homes
designed by the internationally known architect. Located only 15
miles west of Chicago and adjacent to the Metra West train line, the
Museum offers public tours and programs, guest lectures and art
classes on a regular basis. Its mission is to enrich the lives of
its visitors by broadening their knowledge, increasing their
sensitivity to the fine arts and sparking the development of their
own creative talents.
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