Sheldon launches faculty seminar to take collections to classrooms

The Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery is launching an innovative program to make its collections and exhibitions an integral part of the practice of teaching and learning at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The two-year program is funded by Office of Academic Affairs through the One Campus, Many Views Grants, which develop curricular and co-curricular programs that engage faculty, staff and students on issues that affect the welfare of the campus, local, national and global communities. This new program, named the Sheldon Seminar, will forge new relationships between the classroom and the visual arts.

Twelve faculty members who have interests in exploring ways to use the Sheldon's collections and exhibitions to transform classroom teaching and learning will be invited to participate. The seminar will meet several times each semester for two academic years. Facilitated by Sheldon staff and senior faculty, the program will engage participants in readings, discussions, and behind the scenes, hands-on experiences.

Sheldon curator Daniel A. Siedell, who developed the concept for this program, said, "Our goal is to bring together faculty from different areas of the academic community who will interact as teachers in and through Sheldon's collections, exhibitions, and programs, taking the Sheldon back their classrooms."

The Seminar offers an honorarium of $500 for each participant and funds will be available to support collaborative projects throughout this two-year period. Participation is open to faculty in all disciplines, but the seminar will be limited to 12. The Seminar will begin in the spring of 2007 and conclude in the fall semester 2008. Faculty who are interested in this program should send inquiries to Siedell via e-mail by Dec. 1. Inquiries should include a statement of the faculty member's interest in the program and the visual arts.

The faculty consulting committee who helped develop the program include: John Janovy, biology; Mark Griep, chemistry; Patrick Jones, history; Hilda Raz, English; Elizabeth Ingraham, art; and Margaret Latta, learning and teacher education.

CONTACT: Tom White, Marketing Manager, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, (402) 472-1197