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Wells Fargo donates $5,000 to Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art education program to benefit teachers in three Oregon counties

EUGENE, Ore. -- (Dec. 11, 2012) – A $5,000 donation from Wells Fargo to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene will help fund a unique training program for up to thirty K-Grade 12 teachers from Lane, Linn and Benton Counties.

 

This winter, teachers will attend two professional development workshops at the JSMA focusing on the museum’s new Thinking Through Art program. The program incorporates an internationally recognized approach called Visual Thinking Strategies that uses art to teach critical thinking, communication skills and visual literacy.

 

The workshop participants will learn how to use this method of teaching with students in their classrooms. The funds will also provide follow-up coaching for the teachers.

 

The program supports the Oregon Department of Education’s curriculum standards for art, as well as for English, social studies, math and writing.

 

“We believe this could serve as a model for schools and museums across the nation that want to strengthen teacher resources and improve access to arts education,” said Jill Hartz, the museum’s executive director. “State funding for arts education in the region has virtually vanished and the need for supporting arts programs in our schools is widely recognized.”

 

“Wells Fargo believes in partnering with nonprofit agencies such as the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art that share our goal of improving our communities,” said Mike McEntee, manager of Wells Fargo’s Regional Commercial Banking Office in Eugene. “Pre-K through 12 education and the arts are two of the focus areas of our corporate giving in Oregon, so this grant aligns perfectly with our efforts.”

 

Serving Oregonians since 1852, Wells Fargo was named the most generous bank in Oregon and America this year. More information about Wells Fargo’s community support is posted at wellsfargo.com.

 

About the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art

The University of Oregon's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is a premier Pacific Northwest museum for exhibitions and collections of historic and contemporary art based in a major university setting. The mission of the museum is to enhance the University of Oregon’s academic mission and to further the appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts for the general public.  The JSMA features significant collections galleries devoted to art from China, Japan, Korea, America and elsewhere as well as changing special exhibition galleries.  The JSMA is one of six museums in Oregon accredited by the American Association of Museums.

 

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is located on the University of Oregon campus at 1430 Johnson Lane. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens. Free admission is given to ages 18 and under, JSMA members, college students with ID, and University of Oregon faculty, staff and students. For information, contact the JSMA, 541-346-3027.

 

About the University of Oregon

The University of Oregon is among the 108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for top-tier designation of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.

 

Contact: Debbie Williamson Smith, 541-346-0942, debbiews@uoregon.edu

 

Link: Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, http://jsma.uoregon.edu

Image Caption: At the JSMA’s holiday family day, Mike McEntee, manager of Wells Fargo’s Regional Commercial Banking Office in Eugene (posing with art students Lydia Ponso, John Rustik, Isaac Zachem) presents Jill Hartz, executive director of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art with a $5000 contribution.