Exploring Connections
This year’s Exploring Connections: Arts,
Creativity, and Education, A.R.T’s annual benefit
and lecture, featured internationally-acclaimed
photographer Edward Burtynsky. The lecture was held
on November 1st at the Chase Auditorium in downtown
Chicago, as part of the 2007 Chicago Humanities
Festival: Climate of Concern. To kick things off,
A.R.T. presented its fifth annual Arts in Education
Achievement Award to culture critic, former WBEZ
radio host, and current Harvard-fellow Edward
Lifson.
Edward Burtynsky, the featured presenter, is one of Canada’s most respected photographers, focusing his lens on our increasingly manufactured and altered environment. His remarkable depictions of global industrial landscapes are included in the collections of 16 major museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art and The Guggenheim Museum in New York. Mr. Burtynsky’s numerous distinctions include the TED Prize, the Outreach award at the Rencontres d’Arles, three honorary doctorate degrees, and Canada’s hightest civil honor: Officer of the Order of Canada.
The near-sold out crowd at the lecture was treated to some of Burtynsky’s images and his recounting of a recent trip to China, photographing the changing landscape in the wake of the Three Gorges Dam project, the globalization of manufacturing and trade, and China’s ever-expanding population.
Arts Education in Action
Prior to the lecture, Burtynsky visited a digital photography artist-in-residency program at Ruiz school -- an experience deepened by a visit from a renowned master of the form. There, A.R.T. Artist William Estrada and teacher Frank Panion had been teaching the students how to uniquely compose, document, and share their view of the world through photography. Frank Panion, the classroom teacher recounts the day:
In order to prepare for Mr. Burtynsky's visit I had my students think about the biography/autobiography unit that we were studying at the time. They then wrote down some questions that they would ask someone as if they were writing a biography. They came up with some great questions about his personal history, his history with art, and why and how he makes his art. He seemed to really enjoy his time here and responded with enthusiasm to the students questions. I was very happy with how it went, and I was impressed with the depth of my students' questions. I guess Mr. Burtynsky enjoyed his interaction with the students as well, because he even referred to their questions and his answers in his evening presentation to an adult audience downtown. My students and I loved the whole experience of the program and our interaction with Mr. Burtynsky.
Celebrating the Arts
After the lecture, guests of A.R.T. were invited to a special reception for a more intimate chat with Mr. Burtynsky and A.R.T. Board Members, which also included a book signing. “We knew Edward Burtynsky's photography was extraordinary, and we were honored he chose to join A.R.T. as our guest lecturer for the annual Exploring Connections event,” says Event Co-Chair Kary Ream. “What none of us anticipated was how exceptionally engaging, accessible, and inspirational he would be. There is no doubt that those who come in contact with Burtynsky will follow his work for a lifetime.”
Learn more about Edward Burtynsky by visiting his website www.edwardburtynsky.com
For more on the Chicago Humanities Festival, visit www.chfestival.org
Special thanks to the students of Ruiz School, Principal Dana Butler, and educator Frank Panion. The Exploring Connections event was organized by Co-chairpersons and A.R.T. Board Members Kary Ream, Kay Baran, and Justine Jentes.
Edward Burtynsky, the featured presenter, is one of Canada’s most respected photographers, focusing his lens on our increasingly manufactured and altered environment. His remarkable depictions of global industrial landscapes are included in the collections of 16 major museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art and The Guggenheim Museum in New York. Mr. Burtynsky’s numerous distinctions include the TED Prize, the Outreach award at the Rencontres d’Arles, three honorary doctorate degrees, and Canada’s hightest civil honor: Officer of the Order of Canada.
The near-sold out crowd at the lecture was treated to some of Burtynsky’s images and his recounting of a recent trip to China, photographing the changing landscape in the wake of the Three Gorges Dam project, the globalization of manufacturing and trade, and China’s ever-expanding population.
Arts Education in Action
Prior to the lecture, Burtynsky visited a digital photography artist-in-residency program at Ruiz school -- an experience deepened by a visit from a renowned master of the form. There, A.R.T. Artist William Estrada and teacher Frank Panion had been teaching the students how to uniquely compose, document, and share their view of the world through photography. Frank Panion, the classroom teacher recounts the day:
In order to prepare for Mr. Burtynsky's visit I had my students think about the biography/autobiography unit that we were studying at the time. They then wrote down some questions that they would ask someone as if they were writing a biography. They came up with some great questions about his personal history, his history with art, and why and how he makes his art. He seemed to really enjoy his time here and responded with enthusiasm to the students questions. I was very happy with how it went, and I was impressed with the depth of my students' questions. I guess Mr. Burtynsky enjoyed his interaction with the students as well, because he even referred to their questions and his answers in his evening presentation to an adult audience downtown. My students and I loved the whole experience of the program and our interaction with Mr. Burtynsky.
Celebrating the Arts
After the lecture, guests of A.R.T. were invited to a special reception for a more intimate chat with Mr. Burtynsky and A.R.T. Board Members, which also included a book signing. “We knew Edward Burtynsky's photography was extraordinary, and we were honored he chose to join A.R.T. as our guest lecturer for the annual Exploring Connections event,” says Event Co-Chair Kary Ream. “What none of us anticipated was how exceptionally engaging, accessible, and inspirational he would be. There is no doubt that those who come in contact with Burtynsky will follow his work for a lifetime.”
Learn more about Edward Burtynsky by visiting his website www.edwardburtynsky.com
For more on the Chicago Humanities Festival, visit www.chfestival.org
Special thanks to the students of Ruiz School, Principal Dana Butler, and educator Frank Panion. The Exploring Connections event was organized by Co-chairpersons and A.R.T. Board Members Kary Ream, Kay Baran, and Justine Jentes.
