The Thousand Words Project fits within the mission of the Bates College Museum of Art’s unique position as the most public arm of Bates College. The Museum is committed to collecting, preserving, and using works of art to serve the Bates Community and the public through direct experience.
Bates is a college of the liberal arts and sciences recognized for the quality of the educational experiences it provides. As an integral part of the College environment, the Bates College Museum of Art serves as the primary source of art exploration for educators and students from the Lewiston-Auburn area. Art education is a top priority for Museum staff and we strive to improve the quantity and quality of programs for the students of the region by working to enable them to become visually literate through the processes of seeing, thinking, and learning.
A 1996, gift from the Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable Foundation enabled the Museum to launch The Thousand Word Projectunder the direction of Anthony Shostak, the museum’s Curator of Education. Aimed at middle-school and high-school students, the program has become the flagship outreach program at the Museum, effectively integrating the Museum of Art with the curricula of the surrounding public schools and the College. In 2002, an anonymous family foundation provided funds to support TWP for two years, thereby allowing every 7th-Grader and 8th-Grader in the Auburn Middle and Lewiston Middle Schools to participate in the program. Through additional support,TWP is evolving into a web-based curriculum, allowing greater access to schools beyond the Lewiston-Auburn area.
Credits
Anthony Shostak, Curator of Education, Bates College Museum of Art
Curator of Education, Bates College Museum of Art, received his BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and he has shown his work internationally, most recently in the traveling exhibition Revoluciones del Mundo originating in Havana, Cuba. Shostak has served as the Curator of Education at the Bates College Museum of Art since 1994. He is lead curator on the forthcoming exhibition Starstruck: The Fine Art of Astrophotograph, planned for 2012. He was also lead curator of the interdisciplinary exhibition exploring sustainability Green Horizons and editor of its exhibition catalog. Shostak organized several other exhibitions, including The Body Holographic: Harriet Casdin-Silver; From Where I Stood: Photographs from Ireland, Hawaii, and Lands Between by Rowena J. Otremba; Joseph Nicoletti: A Retrospective; Metamorphoses: A Collaboration with Ovid by Wally Reinhardt; Alex Grey: Numinous Flesh; Pre-Columbian Ritual Ceramics; Contemporary German Prints. He is a musician, performing on uilleann pipes and 5-string banjo, and, with the band he co-founded, released the eponymously titled CD Wake the Neighbors.
Leighton Images
LEIGHTON IMAGES, a Maine-based, multi-media production company, oversaw the creation of the on-line curriculum. Over two hours of video is included on this site, including state-of-the-art animations and special effects engineered to bring the content alive. Educational Clients include Apple Computer, Great Schools Partnership, Biology Sciences Curriculum Studies, Harcourt-Brace, Diploma Plus, and the Boston Public Schools.
Geoffrey Leighton, Producer and Director of Photography
GEOFFREY LEIGHTON,Producer and Director of Photography, has over 35 years experience in video and multi-media production. In addition to his award winning documentaries, commercials, and long form programming, Leighton has produced a variety of large scale multimedia educational projects. These projects include “Explore Life!,” a twenty-eight part documentary series for Harcourt- Brace, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” an interactive curriculum for Biological Sciences Curriculum Studies, as well as “The Complete Collection of Physics Demonstrations,” a twenty-five disc series for the National Science Foundation. He has also worked to develop teacher development material with Apple, the Lucas Foundation, Center for Collaborative Education, Classroom Connections, the City of Boston, as well as the Maine Learning Technology Initiative. Currently, he is producing professional development material with the Tech Goes Home Project in Boston and the Diploma Plus Network of schools.
Anita Clearfield, Producer/Director
ANITA CLEARFIELD, Producer/Director, has created many award-winning independent films, documentaries and educational programs, including “Olivia Records: More Than Music,” and “Vacation Nicaragua.” As a staff producer at Maine Public Broadcasting, she produced for the “School Zones” series (following educators throughout a year in the classroom), as well as “Quest,” (science series including topics such as “Climate Change”) and the “Maine Experience” (history segments from “The Underground Railroad” to “Ice Harvesting.”). Her recent work includes the documentary “There Ought to Be a Law,” that features an on-line curriculum for the study of the legislative process.
Laura Richter, Technology Integration Specialist
LAURA RICHTER, Technology Integration Specialist, is a middle school educator at the Skowhegan Area Middle School MSAD#54, where she has taught for the past 25 years. In addition, she teaches undergraduate courses at Thomas College in Waterville, Me. Formerly a social studies teacher, Laura currently is a Technology Integrationist, assisting teachers and students with the MLTI 1:1 laptop program. She also has been actively involved with students as the Civil Rights team leader. She currently helps train both middle and high school teachers across the state as they learn to integrate technology into their curricula and teaches online classes for The Maine Educators’ Consortium. In 2000 she received the Maine Public Broadcasting “Teacher of the Year” Award and in June 2003 the “Apple Distinguished Educator Award.” Laura has authored educational materials for a number of sources including Maine Public Broadcasting, the award-winning film, “There Ought to be a Law,” and the graphic novel, “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli.”
Kristie Littlefield, Educational Consultant
KRISTIE LITTLEFIELD, Education Consultant, is a veteran middle and high school teacher who routinely integrated technology into her teaching. She left the classroom after 12 years to work with educators across the state of Maine on the Maine Community Heritage Project, a program of the award-winning Maine Memory Network, which brings students and adults together to explore local history and create community websites. She has also created and conducted interactive multi-media presentations for students participating in the Civil Rights Team Project and the Maine Civil Liberties Union conferences. Kristie continues to design and conduct professional development programs for teachers and work with organizations, such as the Maine Historical Society, on curriculum development and design. She is all about “elevating best practices.”
Nancy Jervey, Web Designer, Jervey Design
NANCY JERVEY, Web Designer, Jervey Design has been a web designer for the past 10 years. She is the web master for MSAD#54 where she teaches classes in “Dreamweaver” to both students and faculty. She also designs web sites for local businesses in the New England area and has designed websites for educational material including the award winning film “There Ought to be a Law” and “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli.” Nancy is a professional potter specializing in stoneware and porcelain. She owns and operates her own studio and sells in galleries throughout Maine.
Colin Kelley, Sound Engineer, Bates College Media Center
