Art Museum at USJ Received $300K Endowment to Benefit K-12 Students
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Hartford Public School Students visiting the Art Museum at University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford. Photo credit: The Art Museum at University of Saint Joseph
The Art Museum at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford received an endowment that will support art-based education programs.
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The Art Museum at the University of Saint Joseph has been awarded a $300,000 Endowment from the MJB Foundation to support Art Museum-based education programs benefiting Hartford K-12 students.
The MJB Foundation was founded by Monsignor Thomas J. Barry to promote economic development in disadvantaged areas of Hartford. The new endowed fund will be named The Monsignor Thomas J. Barry Foundation Fund.
As an integral part of the University, the Art Museum stimulates learning and enjoyment among its academic and community audiences by fostering direct engagement with original works of art and by collecting and exhibiting art of the highest quality.
With more than 2,100 works of art, changing installations, a print study room, and a variety of programs for the University and the public, the Art Museum provides a myriad of opportunities for the study and enjoyment of art.
“The new endowment will enable the Museum to expand its educational offerings and outreach to Hartford schools, fulfilling a long-held goal,” stated Ann H. Sievers, Director and Curator, Art Museum, USJ. “We are very grateful to the MJB Foundation for this generous gift, which will ensure that we can make an ongoing contribution to K-12 education in Hartford.”
The Monsignor Thomas J. Barry Foundation Fund will support teacher workshops at the Art Museum. By learning to integrate art – and a museum experience – into their classes, teachers will introduce their current students to fine art and enhance their teaching of future classes.
By supporting visits to the Art Museum, the Fund will ensure that children not only benefit in the classroom but experience original art first-hand in the Museum’s galleries.
The Fund will also support a new High School Summer Internship Program for Hartford students, allowing them to pursue their interests and passion for the arts while also exploring possible careers in the field.
