The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is excited to announce that it has limited funds to underwrite transportation for school groups, after school programs, and student organizations whose access to resources might limit their ability to visit the Museum. This opportunity is made possible by a recent grant from The Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc. and a generous gift from Alison and Jack Moore.

The Museum’s dedication to the local community is an integral aspect of its institutional identity. As the only encyclopedic collection in the state of Maine, the Museum views its collection as a unique and valuable resource not only for the students and faculty of Bowdoin College, but also for the citizens of the state. The Museum is committed to connecting with students across the state to offer opportunities to visit an art museum, visualize history, and become inspired by the creativity and diversity throughout cultures and generations.

This past year’s educational outreach has made much progress. The Museum has realized significant growth in the number of tours for K-12 educational groups. The number of K-12 students, educators, and chaperones has increased by 46% and the number of individual schools in the area who scheduled visits increased by 29%—an ascending trend the Museum hopes to continue.

The Museum also arranged the transportation for two groups from communities that would otherwise not have had the opportunity to visit. These groups were part of an educational organization in Maine that serves at-risk youth, recent immigrants, and low-income families. After their time at the Museum, the director of the program described the visit as a “memorable” experience that “helped to expand their cultural horizons and would not have been possible without the Museum’s support.” The Museum is thankful to receive these recent gifts, and looks forward to welcoming more groups in the  future.

If you are part of a group who wants to visit the Museum, please visit the Museum’s website at http://www.bowdoin.edu/art-museum/education/visiting-tours.shtml to access the application for transportation funding, or contact curatorial assistant and manager of student programs Honor Wilkinson at hwilkins@bowdoin.edu or (207) 721-5098.