June 9, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Elena Ivanova, Chief Educator, Stark Museum of Art
409.886.ARTS (2787)
eivanova@starkmuseum.org
Stark Museum of Art Sponsors Teacher Workshop: Soaring through Science
ORANGE, Texas – June 9, 2011. A free teacher workshop, Soaring through Science, will be offered to K-12 teachers at the Stark Museum of Art on June 22, 2011, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. This workshop will be led by Brian “Fox” Ellis, an internationally renowned storyteller, author, naturalist and an expert on John James Audubon. The sessions will take place at the Education Center, located at 812 Green Avenue in Orange, and in the Stark Museum of Art, located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange. Registration for the workshop is required. Applications are available at http://www.starkmuseum.org/. For more information, call 409.886.ARTS(2787).
During this workshop, Ellis will demonstrate how to use birds as a focus for teaching science, art, creative writing and more. This workshop is geared toward teachers for grades 3 – 5, but teachers at all levels will benefit from participating in this exciting learning experience. Lunch will be provided. Participating teachers will receive six Professional Development (CPE) hours. Three additional CPE hours will be awarded to those teachers who also attend the Flights of Fancy: Evening Bird Stroll at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, located at 2111 W. Park Avenue in Orange, on the same day, June 22, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
In addition to Ellis performing as artist John James Audubon during the Flights of Fancy: Evening Bird Stroll at Shangri La, he will also give a free performance, Adventures with Audubon, at Lutcher Theater, located at 707 W. Main Avenue in Orange, on June 23 starting at 6:30 p.m. During the theater performance, the audience will hear stories of Audubon’s outdoor adventures mixed with images of Audubon’s art.
Since 1980, Ellis has been touring the world as a storyteller, researcher and speaker on environmental concerns at regional and international conferences, such as the International Wetlands Conservation Conference and the National Association of Gifted Educators Conference. His critically acclaimed performance, Adventures with Audubon, was recently honored by the Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholars Program.
“We are excited to provide this extraordinary learning opportunity for teachers in Southeast Texas. Brian “Fox” Ellis is a highly experienced educator who taught at many levels, from preschool and high school to graduate courses and Elderhostel programs. He also is a brilliant speaker, who artfully combines pedagogy and entertainment in his presentations. The workshop participants will highly benefit from his insights about incorporating Audubon’s life and work into teaching science, history, writing and art-making,” commented Elena Ivanova, Chief Educator of Stark Museum of Art.
For more information about the Teacher Workshop: Soaring through Science, call 409.886.ARTS(2787) or visit http://www.starkmuseum.org/.
Author, naturalist and performer - Brian “Fox” Ellis.
John James Audubon (1785-1851), artist; Robert Havell, Jr. (1793-1878), engraver, Roseate Spoonbill, 1836, etching and aquatint, hand-colored, in The Birds of America, Vol. IV, 38.25 × 25.5 in., Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas, 11.1.2.D.
About the Stark Museum of Art
The Stark Museum of Art focuses on the stunning land, the dramatic people and the diverse wildlife of the American West. Paintings, sculpture and prints interpret the West from nineteenth century frontier artists to the twentieth century artistic colonies in New Mexico. Artists include John James Audubon, Frederic Remington, Charles Marion Russell, and Georgia O’Keeffe.
The Museum also features a significant collection of American Indian objects, including baskets, pottery, clothing and weavings. Other permanent collections in the Museum include the complete porcelain American Bird Series by Dorothy Doughty and the only complete series of The United States in Crystal, a collection of crystal urns produced by Steuben Glass to depict the 50 states and the Union.
The Stark Museum of Art is a program of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private operating foundation, whose other programs include the Frances Ann Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, and The W.H. Stark House.