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Desdie Eberman, a teacher at Southwest Middle School was one of 31 educators from across Georgia to attend a three-day Picturing America Summer Seminar at the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens last month. The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System is among over 26,000 schools and public libraries across the nation to receive Picturing America from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) this fall.
Picturing America is a free education initiative that helps teach American history and culture by bringing some of the country’s great art directly to classrooms and libraries. Each school will receive 40 large, high-quality reproductions of great American art and a comprehensive teacher’s resource book to facilitate the use of the works of art in core subjects.
“This program recognizes the influences of the arts – the ways in which artists captured history as it happened, the ways in which art impacted that which would become history, and how these changes across time have shaped the American experience,” says Leah Colby, Teaching American History Grants Director for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. “Picturing America is not only a wonderful complement to our grant programs; it also brings history alive across the curriculum!”
During the seminar, participants focused on artworks included in Picturing America, examined specific periods of American history, and engaged with themes revealed through American art such as freedom, equality, courage, and ingenuity.
"Picturing American History was a phenomenal workshop,” said Ms. Eberman, workshop participant from Southwest Middle School. “The materials presented were valuable, insightful and informative. Working with colleagues throughout the state and with the Georgia Museum of Art provided a great forum for exchanging ideas. Learning more about Georgia artists will help me better frame history, helping it become more personal for our students.” Ms. Eberman will share her experiences with teachers from other district schools at a workshop.
