OMA Award Spotlight – Cincinnati Arts Association’s Weston Art Gallery
Recognizing excellence in Ohio museums during Arts and Humanities Month
To help celebrate October as Arts and Humanities Month, and to kick-off the call for nominations for this year's OMA awards, the Ohio Museums Association is highlighting our 2016 OMA Award of Achievement winners throughout the month with our OMA Award Spotlight.
Click here to see our previous award spotlight articles.
The Awards of Achievement are presented to reflect the outstanding quality and caliber of work by Ohio museums and their professionals in two categories: Institutional Achievement Awards and Individual Achievement Awards.
Nominations for these awards are incredibly detailed. This in-depth process helps to illustrate how these institutions and individuals have gone “above and beyond” the normal call of duty to support their institution, serve their public and advance the cause of the museum community.
Each year, the review panel is overwhelmed by the outstanding projects, innovative programming and dedication to our field as exhibited in each of the institutional and individual nominations. Congratulations again to each of our award winners!
Today we'll be featuring our winner for the 2016 award for Best Education and Outreach under $500,000.
Cincinnati Arts Association’s Weston Art Gallery – Docentitos Academy
Since its inception in 1997 the Weston Art Gallery’s Docentitos Academy has trained more than 147 children who have led approximately 1,500 tours for 6,000 visitors.
The Docentitos Academy provides an innovative means of engaging young people with art in a unique way - by providing them the opportunity to not only learn about artists, artistic processes, and museum work in an authentic setting, but by also giving them opportunities to practice looking at art, think critically about art and the ways it relates to their personal lives, and to develop a deep appreciation and respect for artists and the museum environment.
At a time in their life where people are constantly telling them what to do and what information is important, the Weston’s Docentitos program gives students the authority to speak about the institution and the works on display.
The Docentitos training empowers these young people, expanding their arts education while they, in turn, help educate visitors.
Since receiving the OMA Best Education and Outreach award, the Weston Art Gallery also received the Summertime Kids Grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation in May. Congratulations again to the Weston Art Gallery on this accomplishment!
Did your museum have an impactful education or outreach program during the 2017 season? Be sure to nominate it for the 2017 award for Best Education and Outreach! Learn more here.