The Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University has been selected to receive a Kansas Health Foundation recognition grant in support of education programs for the forthcoming "Visual Justice: The Gordon Parks Photography Collection at WSU." Youth and student programs created for the exhibition will examine civil rights, civil liberties and poverty within the context of Parks' pivotal career as a photographer for Life magazine. The Kansas Health Foundation grant allows the museum to take its outreach programs to students in Newton and Hutchinson school districts, including underwriting docent-led tours of the exhibition.
“Visual Justice” is on view from Jan. 16-April 10 at the museum. The supporting educational programs will happen during that span, reaching an expected 4,500 students, including students attending Wichita USD 259.
“A community is only as healthy as its ability to tackle tough challenges,” said Ulrich Museum of Art Director Bob Workman. “The grant awarded by the Kansas Health Foundation allows the Ulrich to reach even more young minds with this exhibition and imparts an extraordinary opportunity to engage youth through classroom and gallery education and open dialogue about civil rights.”
Programming funded by the grant will include engagement with the photography exhibition through professionally led tours, pre- and post-tour classroom curricula and activities, photography and creative writing workshops, and direct conversation and exposure to contemporary artists and writers who are following in the footsteps of Gordon Parks to further social justice in the United States today.
The KHF grant will broaden exposure to Parks’ works and writing – in the classroom and in the galleries – complementing a timely discussion of race and racism and prejudice occurring in America today. Today’s youth now have the opportunity to learn from society’s successes against racism and prejudice during the civil rights movement viewed through the lens of Parks, one of this country’s champions for social and legal rights of everyone.
The Kansas Health Foundation is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans. For more information about the Kansas Health Foundation, visit www.kansashealth.org.