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Ms. Sandra Jackson is the new Director of Education and Public Programs
at The Studio Museum in Harlem, located at 144 West 125th street. With
two degrees in art history, Ms. Jackson brings her experience and education
to the Studio Museum, as well as a high level of energy and enthusiasm.
By returning to the museum, Ms. Jackson is fulfilling her desire to
give back to the institution where she started and become part of the
new "Renaissance" that is occurring in Harlem. She is excited about
the things that the museum is doing within the community, and its devotion
to artists of African decent.
Ms.
Jackson, originally from San Francisco, first came to the Studio Museum
in Harlem at the age of twenty, where she interned while on an exchange
from California. She came to New York as a premed major because she
thought that a doctor was the only profession in which she could truly
help people. After remaining in New York City for a year, she was able
to gain exposure to city life, and with a number of internships, she
realized that science was not her only option to be of service to those
in need. She interned at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and at a design
studio to see if she really wanted to pursue the arts. Eventually, she
made her way back to California, where she changed her major and began
curating shows and running an on-campus gallery.
Ms.
Jackson grew up with the arts as a significant part of her life, so
it never occurred to her that she might go to school to study art. From
tight-knit after-school community programs, to her sister's drawings,
dancing and theater, Ms. Jackson was submerged in a life of creativity.
After graduating from Sonoma State University in California, Ms. Jackson
attended graduate school at Howard University. Ms. Jackson eventually
taught high school, curated shows in California, and then proceeded
to return to New York City for a theoretical program and to curate shows
around the city. At this time she did free-lance work for the Studio
Museum in Harlem, writing and curating. She also worked for the Whitney
Museum, among others. 
Ms.
Jackson returned to the Studio Museum this past August. As the Director
of Education, she creates programs that respond to the exhibitions.
One of her many goals is to make art acceptable and meaningful for anyone
who enters the museum. As the new Director of Education, Ms. Jackson
has high hopes for the future and especially for the museum. "I don't
know what keeps drawing me back to education, but I think that comes
out of an activist background. Being an educator, and being in this
kind of work is about really affecting change, having people think in
new and different ways," Ms. Jackson said, "providing a vehicle for
people to access information. I'm just a vehicle for you to open up
yourself to having a whole other dialogue. I'm actually not even a vehicle
for doing that, I'm a vehicle to get you to the artwork, so that you
can talk about this other stuff, because the artwork really does it."
She hopes that everyone will be able to connect with something and walk
away feeling comfortable going to any museum.
For
kids and young adults, Ms. Jackson hopes to provide a creative, safe
space, where young people can hang out and have the option of learning
outside of school, in a fun and nurturing environment. "I believe that
knowledge provides you with options, and that's what education does.
It provides people with options, it provides them with the ability to
make choices. 'I don't really want to see it this way this time, I want
to see it this way.' If you know the two ways exist, you can choose
a path, but if you only know that there's a black and white way, or
you only know that there's one path...then that's the only path you
can travel, whether that's a good path or not--you don't have anything
to compare it to," Ms. Jackson said, "This space is an extension of
a classroom, it's an extension of a home, we have family programs, we
want this to be a place where people learn in an alternative way. When
young people come here, I'm not going to stand in front of them and
talk about a work of art, we're going to have a conversation about the
work of art. I want to hear what you have to think." 
Some
of Ms. Jackson's other goals are to build a larger audience, to make
the museum a common destination, and to incorporate and promote young
artists. The Studio Museum, in her opinion, belongs as much to the art
world as it does to the community that helped to build the museum, provides
a voice for artists to get attention, and provides a venue for people
to discuss culture. Ms. Jackson admits that working with artists is
a critical part of her own life, because artists reflect culture and
tell the story about what is going on around them through their art.
The
Studio Museum in Harlem offers a variety of programs to benefit young
people and the community. There are programs which make it possible
to get a behind the scenes look at a day in the life of an artist. There
are programs directed specifically towards teens, such as "Words in
Motion." This program allows teens to react artistically to a variety
of stimulus. At the end of the program there is an open mic where students
have a chance to read their poetry in front of a live audience, and
there is a publication of the works that they created during their time
in the program. During the summer, there is a sculpture-courtyard open,
where a teen DJ will be spinning and teens will be able to dance and
enjoy themselves. There are also program such as: "Uptown Fridays: Music,
Cocktails, and Culture," where there has been both a female DJ, and
a Latin band perform, and "Books and Authors" which is an opportunity
for authors to read excerpts of their most recent publications, as they
relate to the mission of the Studio Museum in Harlem.
The
museum provides a number of benificial programs for those who are interested.
With Ms. Jackson's background in art as a child and in her college career,
she understands how important art is. "Education is the backbone of
growth," Ms. Jackson said. As the new she will use her energy and enthusiasm
to bring a new and improved audience and charisma to The Studio museum
in Harlem.
To
find out more about The Studio Museum in Harlem and the numerous programs
that they offer, visit www.studiomuseuminharlem.org. to curate is to
organize an exhibition so that the works included tell a story and build
a relationship and a general connection between all the pieces of art.
Contact information:
Address: 144 W. 125th street
Ny,NY 10027
Telephone: (212) 864- 4500
Fax: (212) 864-4800
Website: www.studiomuseuminharlem.org |
