According to the Museum’s website, this program “uses art as a catalyst to develop literacy and critical thinking skills for adult immigrant English language learners and their families.” In addition to teaching English, the program aims to build common cultural references, connections to community resources, and appreciation for the arts. Patricia Lannes, Nassau County Museum of Art’s director of education believes in using painting and sculpture as “visual texts” as a viable alternative to the traditional method of learning a new language.
The CALTA program is successful in part because of its versatility. A recent study has shown that family participation in arts programs is very important in the Latino community. Therefore, it is equally important for traditional art museums trying to attract this growing population to adopt family oriented programming. The Center for the Future of Museums (CFM) praises the CALTA program as one that “positions the museum as a key player in helping ease the transition of new immigrants into their American communities.” Not only does the program cater to the adult immigrant, but to the entire family in a way that CFM says, “engages everyone without disempowering the adults who may not have the same English proficiency as their children.”
The Nassau County Museum of Art represents a glowing example of how traditional institutions can become “fulcrums of change” in their community. For more information on this topic, visit Partners’ page on “Institutions as Fulcrums of Change.”