Art Museum Journal

The Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
By STAN PARCHIN
January 1, 2010
 

The Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education on the ground floor of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened to the public on October 23, 2007. Redesigned and constructed by award-winning architectural firm Kevin Roche John Dinkledoo and Associates, its three-year renovation and reconfiguration accommodate the intellectual and aesthetic needs of students and their families, teachers, scholars and the public using state-of-the-art technologies.

Expansion and Reinstallation

Once beyond the spacious and inviting Diane W. Burke Hall, where projection screens familiarize one with the museum and its vast educational programs, the Uris Center includes:

• the Carson Family Hall for welcoming school classes and hosting activities during weekends and vacation days;
• the North Classroom for small-size gatherings;
• a studio for making art;
• an Art Study Room with teleconferencing capability, where original works of art can be used for instruction by educators, curators and conservators;
• the 125-seat Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall for talks, symposia, film-viewing and other events;
• the Carroll Classroom for lectures and studio activities;
• a seminar room;
• the expanded Nolen Library, replete with publications, videos, DVDs, online resources, wireless access for the public and a children's reading room; and
• the Teacher Resource Center for instructors, curriculum designers and art resource specialists.

The renewed Uris Center has hi-tech facilities that can record and archive presentations, provide for distance-learning and allow for video-conferencing with art museums and other institutions around the world.

Educational Programs at The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has continued to place a high priority on educating scholars, students and the public since its founding in 1870. It presents an astounding 20,000 educational programs and events annually, among them:

• guided visits for kindergarten through 12th-grade classes that cover an expanding array of topics, including Stories in Art, presentations about the museum's various collections and cross-cultural offerings on Tuesday through Saturday;
• teacher training workshops, New York City district-wide conferences and multi-day Summer institutes (some with online interactive forums), staff development sessions by appointment and offsite programs for schools and instructors;
• after-school and weekend programs in art-making for junior and senior high school students;
• the multi-part Student as Art Researcher program in which educators, curators and librarians mentor high school students;
• The Met's ever-popular High School Internship program;
• festivals, storytelling, performances and art classes for children and their families;
• study, research and career development opportunities for museum professionals (e.g., fellowships, staff exchanges, grants, internships and curatorial studies);
• national, international and multidisciplinary conferences;
• lectures, talks, tours, artist-led discussions, classes, films and symposia for college students and adults; and
• programs for visitors with developmental, neurological, physical, psychiatric, sensory and other disabilities.

The Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center's superlative redesign, expansion and technological enhancements allow The Metropolitan Museum of Art to continue being the Western Hemisphere's pre-eminent leader in art education worldwide.