The Art Institute of Chicago has received a $1 million grant to fund a five-year partnership with the Chicago Public Schools. The goal of the collaboration is to foster students’ engagement with original artworks. Made possible by a gift from Cari and Michael J. Sacks to the Institute’s Department of Museum Education, TEAM: Thinking Experience in an Art Museum, will encourage critical and creative thinking in the city’s public schools.
Michael Sacks, a longtime trustee of the Institute, is chairman/CEO of Grosvenor Capital Management. Sacks and his wife, Carin, have made other generous donations in the past including a $5 million gift to Northwestern University back in August. The Sacks’ said, “We are committed to providing support for Chicago Public School students and want to share our love of art by making the museum’s wonderful collection accessible to all.”
TEAM was developed by Art Institute educators and Chicago Public School teachers and will include implementing curricula based on original works of art and tours and engagement with the museum. Educator training and direct classroom support will be part of the initiative, which will take place over the course of a two-year cycle.
