First Niagara Foundation Grant Supports School Tours of Burchfield Penney
A First Niagara Foundation grant will provide K-12 school groups from throughout the region with free guided tours of the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State for the 2016–2017 academic year.
“If I’ve learned anything in nearly 40 years as an educator, it’s that nothing is as powerful as the joy of discovery—and truly, nothing is more effective than the arts to make this happen,” said Mary Marino Kozub, Burchfield Penney manager of education.
“First Niagara is committed to investing in our community and helping it to thrive,” said Elizabeth Gurney, executive director of the First Niagara Foundation. “We are proud to partner with the Burchfield Penney to make sure every child in Buffalo has the opportunity to personally experience the arts. This program will help tap their creativity, fuel their intellectual curiosity, and provide a unique opportunity for our students to learn and grow.”
“When a student is guided to first look and encouraged to imagine, remember, and make connections, they begin to understand and really comprehend. Suddenly all of those higher-order thinking skills that educators are endlessly working towards are engaged,” continued Kozub. “Nowhere on earth can this happen as easily as in a museum…as every work of art is a riddle, and every riddle has a number of solutions."
“More and more we live in the moment, but what gives meaning to this is knowing what we do today will have a lasting impact on the future,” added Scott Propeack, associate director / chief curator at the Burchfield Penney. “The generosity of the First Niagara Foundation in supporting our school tours program makes such impact possible.”
Teachers can book tours by contacting Kozub directly at (716) 878-3156. Groups of all sizes can be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. Hands-on art making workshops can also be added to a tour by request. All tours based on availability.
About The First Niagara Foundation
The First Niagara Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable entity. Founded in 1998, the First Niagara Foundation is committed to supporting organizations in the communities in which we live and work, with specific focus on Youth and Education, Community Development and Neighborhood Revitalization. In 2015, the First Niagara Foundation contributed nearly $6 million in charitable grants to community partners across the bank’s four-state footprint. \