Editorial
Front Page - Friday, December 17, 2010
Learning at the Hunter Museum runs the whole gamut of ages, interests
Erica Tuggle
Hassan Najjar is the manager of school and outreach programs for the Hunter Museum of American Art. In his position, he coordinates the docent program, teaches classes to teens and young adults and works with students and educators on their objectives for their experience with art at the museum or in the classroom.
- Photo provided
In the Hunter Museum of American Art, it’s true that you can’t touch the paintings or let your children run free throughout the place, but this may be a good thing to expose a child to, says Hassan Najjar, the manager of school and outreach programs for the Hunter.
“This is a lesson that you can’t always be doing, going, this and that. Sometimes you need to slow down and look and appreciate,” Najjar says. “Everyone has something that’s going on in their own life, and you can come here and let it go and just look at the artwork and take it in, get new ideas and really think about things as opposed to letting your mind just consume everything; just relax and let it go on auto pilot.”
This relaxation art provides is evident from the moment people come into the museum he says as individuals rush in, and then slow down as they begin to walk through and take it all in.
As part of the art experience, Najjar works with educators and students by going out to schools, teaching classes at the museum and training the guides that lead the tours at the Hunter for all ages.
Najjar began using his bachelor’s degree of history by working for a regional history museum in Georgia. When he made the switch to working for an art museum, he says his experience in history fit in well.
“A lot of what the Hunter does in the way the artwork is arranged tells America’s stories through the arts. With my American history background, that dovetailed nicely into the collection here, and I have previous experience working with educators and curriculum. All I had to do was up my art knowledge, and I’ve been able to do that pretty well with all the educational opportunities available here at the museum,” he says.
The way Najjar works with different groups depends on the goals they bring for their art experience. Sometimes teachers just want to come and have the kids exposed to the artwork, and other times they have an agenda, which is what Najjar says he prefers.
One example is a group of teachers that recently brought their second grade classes in to talk about the idea of patriotism and find items in art to reinforce the idea. Other times, college groups may come in to look at a specific style of art or a specific artist, he says.
Working with the Calvin Donaldson School recently, Najjar helped a teacher incorporate science with art by having students build robots with markers attached to them so that as they danced across the paper, they would create art as well. The group was then able to branch out and talk about abstract art, mechanical art and the science involved with the creation of simple machines.
He says, “If you think about it, art really encompasses a lot of different areas. It’s not too hard to find something that will interplay with the arts in a good way.”
With their school and outreach programs, multimedia interpretive programs, summer camps, workshops, adult programs and community and corporate programs, the Hunter is able to reach out to every nook and cranny of the city to try to partner with people, make them aware of the arts, and to try to bring them in the door and realize the value of arts in Chattanooga, Najjar says.
Najjar also teaches a class for teenagers called Interpreting Art, and has a group of five teenagers that help him plan events throughout the year including the special performance for which they are partnering with the
Theatre Centre group in April.
“Working with teens is always a blast because they have out there ideas but some are just ‘out there’ enough to work in an art museum setting,” Najjar says.
The next special exhibit coming to the Hunter will be “Lois Mailou Jones: A Vibrant Life in Color,” opening Jan. 30 and featuring works spanning the life of this African-American artist. During the summer, a collection of Civil War photographs will arrive to mark the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.
Najjar says when people move into a new community, they look at the pillars of education that anchor a city such as the school system, libraries and museums.
“They all provide that place, that escape, from everyday,” he says.
For a long-term commitment to this escape, Najjar suggests volunteering for the docent program. During an 18-hour course, Najjar teaches individuals the skills, they shadow other docents and eventually lead their own tours.
No previous art or teaching experience is required, and he says this is perfect for those with free time on their hands, retirees, students and anyone looking for a great opportunity to learn more about art.
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