Press RoomPress ReleasesHigh Museum of Art Awarded Grant From The Zeist Foundation to Support Education

High Museum of Art Awarded Grant From The Zeist Foundation to Support Education

June 9, 2020

ATLANTA, June 9, 2020 — The High Museum of Art has received a $100,000 grant from The Zeist Foundation for its general operating fund to sustain education programming. The grant funds will allow the High to continue to serve as a primary visual arts resource for schools and families throughout the state of Georgia and to expand its virtual learning offerings for young audiences who are unable to experience the Museum’s educational programs on-site.

“We are deeply appreciative to The Zeist Foundation for their generous support of the High’s education programs for children,” said Virginia Shearer, Eleanor McDonald Storza director of education. “Creative activities are key building blocks of healthy child development, and the High plays a vital role in providing meaningful art education experiences for thousands of children in our community each year. Learning to create and appreciate art may be more important than ever to the development of Atlanta’s next generation of creators, innovators and leaders.”

The Zeist Foundation’s generous funding will allow the High to maintain its commitment to investing in the future success of Georgia’s children by continuing its vital education work with youth in the community through widely accessible art education programs and innovative virtual education programs.

The High’s field trip program serves more than 50,000 students annually through tours and art-making workshops planned in concert with Georgia’s state-wide school standards for the visual arts, language arts, social studies, math and science. The Museum offers a number of its education programs at no cost to participants, including free teaching resources and professional development workshops for educators.

“The High is so grateful to the Zeist Foundation for their generosity and their recognition of our efforts to serve our many audiences, whether through engaging students in the Museum, or providing the tools they need for an enriching cultural experience at home,” said Rand Suffolk, Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr., director of the High. “This grant gives us the ability to provide a creative space for our audiences as we fulfill our mission to promote growth, collaboration, inclusivity and connectivity throughout Atlanta and the metro area.”

In addition to funding field trips and in-museum cultural experiences, The Zeist Foundation grant directly benefits the education department as it continues to develop new digital activities for these audiences. Current ongoing campaigns include virtual Teacher’s Lounge, Art School, Curator “Ask Me Anything” question-and-answer sessions and Conversation Pieces discussions focused on works in the High’s collection — all hosted through social media and the Museum’s blog on Medium.

The Zeist Foundation works to provide grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Georgia as they address youth needs in the areas of arts and culture, human services and education. The Foundation’s arts and culture grant-making process is focused on increasing access to culturally enriching learning experiences.

About the High Museum of Art
Located in the heart of Atlanta, the High Museum of Art connects with audiences from across the Southeast and around the world through its distinguished collection, dynamic schedule of special exhibitions and engaging community-focused programs. Housed within facilities designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architects Richard Meier and Renzo Piano, the High features a collection of more than 17,000 works of art, including an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American fine and decorative arts; major holdings of photography and folk and self-taught work, especially that of artists from the American South; burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, including paintings, sculpture, new media and design; a growing collection of African art, with work dating from prehistory through the present; and significant holdings of European paintings and works on paper. The High is dedicated to reflecting the diversity of its communities and offering a variety of exhibitions and educational programs that engage visitors with the world of art, the lives of artists and the creative process. For more information about the High, visit www.high.org.

# # #

DIGITAL IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Media contact
Lindsey Watts
Public Relations Specialist
404-733-4423
Lindsey.watts@high.org