On December 5th The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens hosted a professional development workshop centered on Arts for All, a set of adaptive art tools invented by Dwayne Szot and housed here at The Cummer. Dwayne’s training as an artist combined with formative childhood experiences inspired him to develop these pieces of equipment that allow children of all abilities to participate in art making and movement activities that develop mobility skills, coordination, and expression.
We had 24 teachers in attendance from a range of schools in the Duval and Clay county areas. Over the course of the day they listened to presentations on Dwayne Szot’s background and the concepts behind Arts for All, experimented with his inventions to create large-scale drawings and paintings, and discussed ways in which they might use the program back in their own classrooms.
As part of the Arts for All program The Cummer is the permanent home to a selection of Dwayne’s adaptive equipment which can be loaned out to local teachers who wish to use it. The enthusiasm of our participants was so great during the workshop that many of them requested to take our tools on loan that same day and within minutes everything we had available was spoken for.
For more information on this program or to inquire about borrowing equipment you can contact the Education Department directly at 899-6203.