Art in Nature at the Manice Education Center
Staff at the Manice Education Center are astounded year after year by the brilliance and creativity our campers demonstrate when given the proper avenues to explore it. We have recognized how important it is for our campers to explore art in nature, which encourages thinking in new and flexible ways. So, with the help of the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, the Manice Education Center has been building on that realization by providing more opportunities for students to discover their creative potential through new activities and a dedicated space on our campus.
New Art Space at MEC
Art in the old space…
…new space in the works!
Between our campfire gazebo and greenhouse, there has always been a building dedicated to science. This building has been a reliable space where we have conducted science experiments in a controlled environment. It will always be a space for science, but now we are starting fresh with much-needed renovations and the inclusion of an “art in nature” space within the building.
The Clark Institute
Students engaging in a Q&A with their tour guide
Students gazing at a sculpture on one of The Clark’s scenic trails
Every session 3 has a group part of our Leadership Training Course or LTC for short. Each year LTC takes a field trip to The Clark Institute art museum in Williamstown, MA where they get their own personalized tour by museum staff The Clark is a renowned art museum and research center with beautiful collections of impressionist paintings, prints and a huge outdoor area with sculptures. One LTC student recounts, “I liked the tour of The Clark because we got to learn the history of the artists and what inspired each painting”
Activities at Manice
As MEC staff are learning new ways to integrate art in nature into our curriculum, let’s look at some of the highlights from this past year. Campers are engaged in an activity in which one partner describes the step-by-step process for the other to draw, without revealing what they are drawing. The activity relies on effective communication, active listening, and creativity. The final result is usually unexpected!
A student is using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows to construct a constellation. Tying in art with astronomy.
A Manice classic! Campers must get creative and use their newfound survival skills to construct a shelter that could protect them from the elements if they ever were in a situation lost in the wilderness.
Staff and Campers are showcasing their unique tree species from the “Build a Tree” activity. The trees are carefully designed with specific adaptations to help them serve their local ecosystems, survive natural disasters or other harms, and provide habitats to the animals which rely on them.
Our staff also took a trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum in the fall to learn more about artists local to the Berkshires