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Indiana Bicentennial Celebration 2016
ArtSmart: Indiana
Indiana has a new launch of an enhanced web-based learning initiative and updated resource guide, teaching guide, interactive games and video in partnership with Purdue University and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
A new 2-minute video demonstrates how ArtSmart makes learning Indiana history interactive and showcases Indiana’s rich arts tradition.
Games include creating one’s own “centennial coin” such as Janet Scudder did for Indiana’s 1916 centennial celebration.
ArtSmart teaches the history of Indiana from 1800 to present day as shown through the works of its artists and is designed as a flexible starting point for integrating Indiana’s visual arts tradition into classroom instruction with application for all Hoosiers.
Q&A with Legacy Project Coordinators Susan O. Chavers & Sharon Smith Theobald
What do you consider the key accomplishments of your Legacy Project?
- ArtSmart: Indiana benefited all Hoosiers as we celebrated Indiana's Bicentennial by telling them about the history of Indiana through the art, artists and authors who wove a rich and proud past from our pioneer painters and craftsmen to contemporary architects, sculptors and space age explorers. "ArtSmart: Indiana is an innovative tool that makes our rich history available, at no cost, to every child and adult in our state," said Former Governor and Purdue University President, Mitch Daniels. "ArtSmart is harnessing the power of technology to educate our fellow citizens on a subject of great importance. The partnership of public and private institutions that have come together to make this investment in Indiana's future is a model we can look to as we continue to improve education in our state." This online program, www.artsmartindiana.org., was and continues to be available to all citizens of the state of Indiana. During the Bicentennial year, our accomplishments were: having a year long exhibition "A Bicentennial Legacy Exhibition ArtSmart: Indiana" in our Weil Gallery, Art Museum of Greater Lafayette; Indiana Historical Bureau allowing AMGL to be one of four places that the original Indiana state flag was exhibited; partnering with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra to provide a concert, "200 Candles-A Hoosier Birthday Bash", featuring Indiana composers and lyricists with accompanying works of ASI images using video mapping to achieve a kinetic visual backdrop during the concert; partnering with the Children's Museum of Indianapolis presenting an ASI Educational Workshop to Indiana teachers; Art Museum of Greater Lafayette hoisting the Tippecane Co. Bicentennial Kick Off while kicking off the ASI exhibition; doing workshops in various museums and libraries in Indiana; reaching out with 7,000 letters to fourth grade and art educators in 1,158 elementary schools in Indiana enabling teachers to teach In History, using In Academic Standards; reaching out to all the libraries in Tippecanoe Co. giving them iPads with the ASI educational interactive games related to Indiana's history through its art; approved by the Indiana State Library to do library workshops giving LEU continuing education credits; added to our website a tutorial video for teachers; printed 200 new copies each of ArtSmart: Indiana Resource Catalog and ArtSmart: Indiana Teaching Guide; and other smaller projects.
Describe a highlight or most memorable moment related to your Legacy Project.
- In October 14, 2014, Indiana's First Lady, Karen Pence, and Perry Hammock, Executive Director of the Bicentennial Commission came to the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette to hold a press conference to endorse ArtSmart: Indiana as a 2016 Bicentennial Legacy Project. "To be able to capture a program that a teacher can take into a classroom and teach history through art is phenomenal-it kills two birds with one stone," Pence said during the presentation. "A lot of times, art is something that some of your students-who can't express themselves in other ways-can express themselves through. And to be able to see the history of Indiana through art is just phenomenal. This is a great way to do it. It's online. It's ready to go. It includes the history of our state as seen through famous pieces of artwork. it also has projects that the kids can do. It's fabulous."
How/where are you preserving information and artifacts related to your Legacy Project?
- Our website, artsmartindiana.org; a full color exhibition catalog of theArt Museum of Greater Lafayette's "A Bicentennial Legacy Exhibition ArtSmart: Indiana; in brochures; evaluation forms given to participants at workshops; newspaper articles; photographs; TV interviews; etc.
Total number of volunteers who participated.
- Six.
Estimated total attendance.
- More than 1,500 during various activities during the Bicentennial year and hundreds on our website.
Estimated dollar amount raised.
- $20 - $25,000 in grants for the Bicentennial year.
Photos of ArtSmart Indiana
Project Details
- Organization: Art Museum of Greater Lafayette
- County: Tippecanoe
- Contact: Susan Chavers and Sharon Smith Theobald 765-742-1128 artsmartindiana@artlafayette.org
- Type: Non-profit
- Project Number: IBC-YE-21
- Website: www.artsmartindiana.org
