Professor Romi Crawford Partners with MCA Chicago to Create an Alternative Arts Educational Program

Students in class at the New Art School Modality. Photo courtesy of the MCA.

Students in class at the New Art School Modality. Photo courtesy of the MCA.

The New York Times recently spotlighted Professor Romi Crawford’s new collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA): the New Art School Modality. This innovative art school is a free semester-long program that allows for students to learn directly from arts workers. The courses offered prioritize underrecognized art histories and forms; collective teaching; and intergenerational and collaborative methods. Instead of receiving course credit or a degree, the New Art School Modality awards students by providing them with opportunities to contribute to exhibitions, publications, or civic projects. Crawford hopes that this new model of learning will enhance arts education and eradicate the traditional barriers that prevent artists from attending arts institutions.

The Pritzker Director of the MCA, Madeleine Grynsztejn, shared, “Shining a spotlight on the good work of Professor Romi Crawford, who is closing the gap between art education and those who seek it, is a privilege, and I have confidence we will see results from the inaugural year that impact pedagogy moving forward.”