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The Speed Art Museum

Established in 1927, The Speed Art Museum in Louisville is Kentucky’s oldest and largest art museum, with more than 12,000 pieces in its permanent collection. That collection spans 6,000 years, from ancient Egypt to contemporary art. Included are distinguished collections of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painting, 18th-century French art, Renaissance and Baroque tapestries, as well as significant holdings of contemporary American painting and sculpture. African and Native American works also represent a growing segment of the museum’s collection. The Speed also houses paintings, sculpture, furniture, and decorative arts by Kentucky artists or created for Kentuckians.

Jefferson CountySince completing an extensive $12 million renovation and expansion in 1997, the Speed has brought major exhibitions of photography, painting, design, and sculpture to the region to help fulfill its ambitious mission: bringing great art and people together. Located next to the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus, the museum serves more than 180,000 visitors annually.

The Laramie L. Leatherman Art Learning Center’s Art Sparks Interactive Gallery offers interactive exhibits for all young visitors, while special school tours teach concepts that apply across the educational spectrum and encourage critical thinking skills. Currently, school tours are organized around four themes: Highlights, Looking at Art, How Art Reaches Us, and People: Real and Imagined. The guided tours are offered for grades K-12.

The museum’s Education Department also provides a wide array of services and resources to educators, including a range of professional development sessions designed to meet the needs of a variety of teachers. For more information on these sessions, call (502) 634-2734 or e-mail mmenezes@speedmuseum.org.

Education staff members are also available to meet with individual teachers or planning teams to develop ways that the museum can be used as an educational resource. Please have several dates in mind before calling. Contact the associate curator of education for school programs at (502) 634-2715 or e-mail mmenezes@speedmuseum.org.

The Speed’s traveling cultural suitcases are another way for educators to extend the museum experience by bringing museum resources into the classroom. Three suitcase topics are offered:

Each suitcase contains artifacts, gloves for handling them, books, audiotapes, videotapes, and various other resources. The cost of renting a suitcase is $35.00 for two weeks. Suitcases to be shipped require an additional fee.

The Sullivan Video Library at the Speed Art Museum is a collection of art-related videos available to educators at no charge. Educators may keep the videos for one week and are asked to complete a review form. A list of available videos can be found at the museum web site.

For more information about teacher resources at the Speed, call (502) 634-2700 or e-mail info@speedmuseum.org.

For general information, contact:

Speed Art Museum
2035 S. 3rd St.
Louisville, KY 40208
(502) 634-2700
www.speedmuseum.org

The web site includes extensive information about Speed Museum collections, events, and educational programs, along with lesson plans and other materials for educators.

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