HarlemLIVE

Ms. Sandra Jackson is the new Director of Education and Public Programs at The Studio Museum in Harlem, located at 144 West 125th street. With two degrees in art history, Ms. Jackson brings her experience and education to the Studio Museum, as well as a high level of energy and enthusiasm. By returning to the museum, Ms. Jackson is fulfilling her desire to give back to the institution where she started and become part of the new "Renaissance" that is occurring in Harlem. She is excited about the things that the museum is doing within the community, and its devotion to artists of African decent.

Ms. Jackson, originally from San Francisco, first came to the Studio Museum in Harlem at the age of twenty, where she interned while on an exchange from California. She came to New York as a premed major because she thought that a doctor was the only profession in which she could truly help people. After remaining in New York City for a year, she was able to gain exposure to city life, and with a number of internships, she realized that science was not her only option to be of service to those in need. She interned at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and at a design studio to see if she really wanted to pursue the arts. Eventually, she made her way back to California, where she changed her major and began curating shows and running an on-campus gallery.
Ms. Jackson grew up with the arts as a significant part of her life, so it never occurred to her that she might go to school to study art. From tight-knit after-school community programs, to her sister's drawings, dancing and theater, Ms. Jackson was submerged in a life of creativity. After graduating from Sonoma State University in California, Ms. Jackson attended graduate school at Howard University. Ms. Jackson eventually taught high school, curated shows in California, and then proceeded to return to New York City for a theoretical program and to curate shows around the city. At this time she did free-lance work for the Studio Museum in Harlem, writing and curating. She also worked for the Whitney Museum, among others.

Ms. Jackson returned to the Studio Museum this past August. As the Director of Education, she creates programs that respond to the exhibitions. One of her many goals is to make art acceptable and meaningful for anyone who enters the museum. As the new Director of Education, Ms. Jackson has high hopes for the future and especially for the museum. "I don't know what keeps drawing me back to education, but I think that comes out of an activist background. Being an educator, and being in this kind of work is about really affecting change, having people think in new and different ways," Ms. Jackson said, "providing a vehicle for people to access information. I'm just a vehicle for you to open up yourself to having a whole other dialogue. I'm actually not even a vehicle for doing that, I'm a vehicle to get you to the artwork, so that you can talk about this other stuff, because the artwork really does it." She hopes that everyone will be able to connect with something and walk away feeling comfortable going to any museum.
For kids and young adults, Ms. Jackson hopes to provide a creative, safe space, where young people can hang out and have the option of learning outside of school, in a fun and nurturing environment. "I believe that knowledge provides you with options, and that's what education does. It provides people with options, it provides them with the ability to make choices. 'I don't really want to see it this way this time, I want to see it this way.' If you know the two ways exist, you can choose a path, but if you only know that there's a black and white way, or you only know that there's one path...then that's the only path you can travel, whether that's a good path or not--you don't have anything to compare it to," Ms. Jackson said, "This space is an extension of a classroom, it's an extension of a home, we have family programs, we want this to be a place where people learn in an alternative way. When young people come here, I'm not going to stand in front of them and talk about a work of art, we're going to have a conversation about the work of art. I want to hear what you have to think."

Some of Ms. Jackson's other goals are to build a larger audience, to make the museum a common destination, and to incorporate and promote young artists. The Studio Museum, in her opinion, belongs as much to the art world as it does to the community that helped to build the museum, provides a voice for artists to get attention, and provides a venue for people to discuss culture. Ms. Jackson admits that working with artists is a critical part of her own life, because artists reflect culture and tell the story about what is going on around them through their art.

The Studio Museum in Harlem offers a variety of programs to benefit young people and the community. There are programs which make it possible to get a behind the scenes look at a day in the life of an artist. There are programs directed specifically towards teens, such as "Words in Motion." This program allows teens to react artistically to a variety of stimulus. At the end of the program there is an open mic where students have a chance to read their poetry in front of a live audience, and there is a publication of the works that they created during their time in the program. During the summer, there is a sculpture-courtyard open, where a teen DJ will be spinning and teens will be able to dance and enjoy themselves. There are also program such as: "Uptown Fridays: Music, Cocktails, and Culture," where there has been both a female DJ, and a Latin band perform, and "Books and Authors" which is an opportunity for authors to read excerpts of their most recent publications, as they relate to the mission of the Studio Museum in Harlem.
The museum provides a number of benificial programs for those who are interested. With Ms. Jackson's background in art as a child and in her college career, she understands how important art is. "Education is the backbone of growth," Ms. Jackson said. As the new she will use her energy and enthusiasm to bring a new and improved audience and charisma to The Studio museum in Harlem.
To find out more about The Studio Museum in Harlem and the numerous programs that they offer, visit www.studiomuseuminharlem.org. to curate is to organize an exhibition so that the works included tell a story and build a relationship and a general connection between all the pieces of art.
Contact information:
Address: 144 W. 125th street
Ny,NY 10027
Telephone: (212) 864- 4500
Fax: (212) 864-4800
Website: www.studiomuseuminharlem.org