AMOCA Hosts Ribbon Cutting for Mudmobile
For immediate release.
Contact: Paul Roach, (909) 865-3146, communications@amoca.org
(California, October 8, 2021)—The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) celebrated the launch of a new Mobile Museum and Virtual Visits program supported by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and Julianne and David Armstrong, in partnership with the Pomona Unified School District and the Los Angeles Unified School District. With a focus on under-resourced school sites within 60 miles of the City of Pomona, this program will bring engaging and educational art experiences to students, parents, and educators at their home school site. Through generous support from the CNRA’s Museum Grant Program, the first 36 visits in the 2021-2022 school year are 100% funded, and will be free to participating schools and educators.
Beth Ann Gerstein, Executive Director of AMOCA, commented: “Museums exist at the juncture of art, community, and education, and the Mobile Museum and Virtual Visits program takes the Museum experience outside the walls of our facility and into the community. This program is the first of its kind in California, and it’s modeled off the very successful program at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia. I am grateful to the Clay Studio, especially Curator and Director of Artistic Programs Jennifer Zwilling, for sharing generously sharing their expertise in developing this new program. The arts are critical in creating civic engagement and supporting wellness, and I firmly believe that equitable access to arts education is a vital component of a vibrant California education. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be pioneering this program with such a talented group of partners and friends.”
Educators can sign up to participate in the Mobile Museum and Virtual Visits Program online, by emailing Ashley Rowley at education@amoca.org, or by calling the museum at (909) 865-3146 between 9 AM and 5 PM.
This program is made possible by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment through the California Natural Resources Agency, Julianne and David Armstrong, the Laguna Clay and Glaze Company, and the generosity of AMOCA’s Board of Directors.
About the Vehicle
The Mobile Museum services are facilitated by a visit from the aptly named Mudmobile. The vehicle, which was named through a series of community votes, is decorated by local artist AngelOnce. The artist, also chosen through a community centered process, was commissioned to create a vibrant and engaging artwork that would speak to the energy and creativity of California students and educators.
Images
Back row, pictured left to right: Nathan Stanfield (Studio Manager, AMOCA), Peter Coye (Board of Directors, AMOCA), Don Pattison (Immediate Past President, AMOCA Board of Directors), Robert J. Dea (Board of Directors, AMOCA), Riley Pettitt (Education Intern, AMOCA), John Nolte (Pomona City Councilmember, District 1), Victor Preciado (Pomona City Councilmember, District 2), Phil Miller (Artistic Director, The School of Arts and Enterprise), Joshua Swodeck (Board of Directors, The School of Arts and Enterprise).
