We welcome over 1,000 visitors, students and other guests,
for guided tours of the collection each year. We hope to see your group in the
park soon. Our tours are thorough and age-appropriate. We can accommodate
school groups from Grades 4 to 12, college and graduate students, adults and
seniors. Tours may be customized to a variety of time-frames and abilities -
please contact park staff to discuss your particular needs.
School Tours and Outdoors@theNATE
Education and Outreach Coordinator:
Sherri Denault
sdenault@govst.edu
708-534-4848
The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park organization has developed
a unique, full-day, outdoors and hands-on program called Outdoors@theNATE that has received rave reviews from teachers and students
alike:
Thank you so much for
hosting us today! We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was not only
very well organized, but also incredibly educational and relatable to our
students. It is amazing when students can connect what they are doing in the
classroom with the outside world. Thank you for a wonderful field trip today! - 4th
Grade Teacher, Flossmoor
The most memorable things were when we saw the Windwaves and when we went
hunting for plants in the sculpture that Mary Miss made. -4th
Grade Student, Chicago Heights
Outdoors@theNATE is a hands-on, interactive program designed to build awareness of visual
thinking, address elements of the Common Core Curriculum, satisfy aspects of
the ISBE Standards and Goals for 4th and 5th grade,
present artworks as part of a consideration of S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, ARTS, and Math) principles, and create a
chance for contact among differing schools from across our region. It is
presented as a three-phased experience:
·
A
pre-visit, in-school presentation is delivered by the teacher
Students are introduced to
broad-based ideas about sculpture, three-dimensional design, and career
opportunities.
·
A
visit to Governors State University’s Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park.
Students convene in the
university’s Sherman Recital Hall (capacity 175) Center for Performing Arts
where the Educational Outreach Coordinator introduces the sculptures to be
visited. Each student receives a bag of materials and our 16-page full-color Nate-book publication and are then escorted outdoors by Docents. Classes visit 4 artworks (encountering a
number of others on the way). At each sculpture, they participate in a
structured, interactive presentation which illuminates how the artist
incorporated elements of S.T.E.A.M.
principles into their creation or presentation at each of the artworks. They
eat lunch on-site and return to their schools.
·
Post-visit
opportunities for structured reflection, published on the NMSP Facebook page.
Students reflect upon their
experience through a number of independent follow-up projects suggested by the
park for the teacher. Once complete,
students may “publish” them on the NMSP Facebook page.
The fee for Outdoors@theNATE is $7 per student and $5 per adult teacher or chaperone. This fee includes the
Nate-book and all materials. It does NOT include lunch or transportation.
While there is a cafeteria on-site, we recommend students
bring their lunch. Arrangements will be made to store the lunches and tables
will be set for the entire group.
Because of its complexity Outdoors@theNATE is offered by appointment so contact Sherri to schedule your class visit.
General Tour Groups
Contact: Jeff Stevenson, Director and Curator, Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park and Visual Arts Gallery
jstevenson@govst.edu (best contact method)
708.534.4021
Fees for guided
tours: $10 per person. There is a $100 minimum charge for a guided tour, which is met with 10 people; $10 for each additional person.
Attire: Please
dress appropriately for the season. Be sure to wear comfortable, sturdy,
walking shoes as extensive walking on uneven paths is required.
Facilities: GSU
buildings are open Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm; on Sunday they're open Noon to 6 pm.
Our cafeteria is open Monday through Friday (Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 7:30
pm, and Friday, 8 am to 2:30 pm) The cafeteria is closed on the weekend.
Time Required: Tours can be customized with the most popular tour lasting about an hour to an hour and a half.
Adult Groups: A
history of the park Powerpoint presentation is available for adult groups.
There is an extra fee of $5 per person for this presentation. Please let park
staff know if you are interested in this presentation when you book your tour.
Area Accommodations: Consider staying overnight in the region to enjoy the best the Southland has to offer.
