ocma_press1941_Mellon-Grant-release

							FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 2006

Media Contact: Kelly Dickson (949) 759-1122 kdickson@ocma.net

ORANGE COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART RECEIVES GRANT TO EXPAND PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAMS NEWPORT BEACH—The Orange County Museum of Art today received a $25,000 grant from Mellon Financial Corporation, which will go toward expanding OCMA’s School and Tour Programs that currently serve K-12 students and teachers. In the past year, the museum has made strategic changes to its School and Tour Programs to better meet the needs of schools and districts by increasing the budget for those programs and adding new staff. Through these efforts, the Museum intends to double the number of students served over the next two years. ―We are delighted that Mellon Financial Corporation is collaborating with us to create a wide and long-lasting impact on arts education in Orange County,‖ Dennis Szakacs, director stated. ―With this type of community support, we will continue to grow our important school partnerships, reaching larger numbers of our youth.‖

"At Mellon, we feel a special responsibility to help our communities grow stronger, and one of the ways to make our communities better places to live and work is to become affiliated with and assist non-profits like the OMCA that foster education and cultural awareness," said Jim McDonald, head of Mellon Community Affairs. Although based in Pittsburgh, Mellon has a significant presence in southern California with nearly 700 employees. Many of them work either in its local headquarters at 400 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, or at Mellon 1st Business Bank, headquartered downtown and with several area business branches. OCMA’s Exhibition Tours and Hand-on Studio Art Projects meet state content standards for the visual arts, and the new Pre-visit Activities, Gallery Activities, and Classroom Curriculum Materials are designed to support interdisciplinary learning with integration into Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science curriculum areas.

Based on the strength of these redesigned programs, OCMA has now partnered with the Newport Mesa Unified School District to meet their strategic plan of making the visual arts an integral part of their students’ academic lives and established a goal that brings all fourth graders in the district to the museum once during the school year, eventually serving up to 1,200 additional students annually.

Additionally, OCMA has expanded its professional development opportunities for teachers in collaboration with the Orange County Department of Education and the Orange County Performing Arts Center in supporting literacy and the arts. The museum has increased the availability of transportation reimbursements, affording more teachers the funding needed to bring their students to the museum and allow them a first-hand experience with original works of art.

ABOUT THE ORANGE COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART The Orange County Museum of Art is the premier visual arts museum in Orange County, California, serving a population of nearly three million residents in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. Located one hour south of Los Angeles, the museum’s main facility is in Newport Beach, with a satellite Orange Lounge, a new media space in Costa Mesa at South Coast Plaza. The museum’s program of dynamic solo exhibitions and landmark group shows links historical and contemporary art and ideas, bridges local and global perspectives, and embraces a diverse array of cultural activities and media. The museum is dedicated to engaging diverse audiences by providing creative commentary and illuminating dialogue on issues in our society through the arts. MUSEUM INFORMATION Newport Beach – Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach is located at 850 San Clemente Drive. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with extended hours Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $10/adults; $8/seniors and students; children twelve and under and OCMA members are free. OCMA is open free to the public every Thursday. All facilities are handicapped accessible. For more information, call 949.759.1122 or visit www.ocma.net. Orange Lounge at South Coast Plaza – The Orange Lounge is located at 3333 Bear Street in Costa Mesa on the third floor of the Crate & Barrel wing, next door to the Paul Frank Store. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. The Orange Lounge phone number is 949.759.1122 ext. 272. Please visit www.ocma.net/orangelounge/ for further information.