“Art as a Human Necessity”: TC, MoMA and The Art Barge Sessions Celebrate the Life and Work of Victor D’Amico

A pioneer in Art Education, TC alumnus and instructor Victor D’Amico (1904-1987) believed that art education for children should be based on making art, as opposed to the teaching of rote techniques.  Throughout his long and storied career he began and taught scores of art workshops, classes and programs based on that idea. He was the founding director of the Education Department at the Museum of Modern Art, created The Children’s Art Carnival and established The Art Barge as a studio art school.

Join Teachers College, MoMA and The Art Barge for a series of collaborative sessions that explore D’Amico’s philosophy that “arts are a humanizing force and that their major function is to vitalize the living.”

Session I:  (Teachers College) Victor D’Amico as Educator in the Context of the Arts and Humanities

Representatives of each Children’s Art Carnival talk about its content and the future perspective from its essence.

Monday, June 20, 2011

2-5pm

Teachers College; Macy Hall 447, 525 West 120th Street, NY, NY

Mediator: Judith Burton Professor, Director of Art and Art Education, Teachers College

Presenters:

“Children’s Art Carnival in India in 1963” Prabha Sahasrabudhe, Former Professor of Art and Art Education, Teachers College

“Children’s Art Carnival in Harlem in 1969-current” Betty Blayton Taylor, Founding Director of Children’s Art Carnival in Harlem

“Children’s Art Carnival in Tokyo, Japan in 1995” Chimako Maeda, Research Visiting Scholar, Art and Art Education, Teachers College

“Children’s Art Carnival at Art Barge in 2006-current” Christopher Kohan, President, The Art Barge/The Victor D’Amico Institute of Art

Commentator:

Wendy Woon Deputy Director of Education Department Museum of Modern Art, New York

Questions?  Contact Chimako Maeda at 212.280.5425 or chimacom@nua.ac.jp.

Session II:  (MoMA) Victor D’Amico as a Bridge Between the Museum & Art Education

A discussion on the Children’s Art Carnival’s environment in the past, present and future will be held with museum educators and participants.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

2-4pm

MoMA; Education Center at the Cullman building 4 West 54th Street, NY, NY

RSVP by June 13th to Katy Marcus at 212.708.9608 or Katy_Marcus@moma.org.

Workshop: Current Interactive Setting and Historical Original Toys and Tools for Motivation

Workshop Navigator: Elizabeth Margulies, MoMA

Original tools Navigator: Christopher Kohan, Art Barge

Film Screening: Holiday Carnival, 1956

Mediator & Commentator: Judith Burton

Commentator: Wendy Woon

Session III: (The Art Barge) Art on the Beach–Combining Art Education and Vacation

The session focuses on how the environment affects people involved in art and art education from the museum side, beyond the school and in nature.

Friday June 24, 2011

4-6pm

The Art Barge/The Victor D’Amico Institute of Art; Amagansett, Long Island

Presenters:

“Art Barge and its future” Christopher Kohan

“MoMA and Art Barge” Wendy Woon

“Teaching at MoMA and Art Barge” Arlette Buchman

“Learning beyond the School Works” Judith Burton

6-7pm:  Sunset Reception

Questions?  Call 631-267-3172 or email damico@hamptons.com.

Admission for each session is free of charge.

Sponsored by Teachers College, Museum of Modern Art and Art Barge/Victor D’Amico Institute of Art.

Directed by Chimako Maeda, research visiting scholar, Art & Art Education, Teachers College, Columbia University 2010/2011.