Volkswagen Group of America Proudly Supports the Museum of Modern Art's Award-Winning Online Arts Classes

November 3, 2014 /3BL Media/ - Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. proudly supports The Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) award-winning online art courses. MoMA’s premium online courses, which were launched in 2010 and are available via MoMA.org, are the first of their kind, providing self-guided as well as instructor-led formats and featuring exclusive video demonstrations and insights from curators, conservators, and artists. The most recent courses were created in partnership with Coursera (www.coursera.org), for primary and secondary school teachers all over the world, and provide museum teaching strategies and techniques free of charge.

“Innovation plays a key role for the Volkswagen Group at all levels. Thus, we are delighted that Volkswagen Group of America is able to partner with MoMA in further developing these groundbreaking online courses, which are singular within international museum operations. They promote the experience of exceptional art for everyone, no matter where they are in the world. These virtual connections generate real inspiration and are valuable touchstones of progress,” said Benita von Maltzahn, Head of Cultural and Social Affairs within Volkswagen Group Communication.
 
“MoMA's Online Courses offer engaging experiences for anyone who wants to learn more about art—or create art—anywhere in the world,” said Deborah Howes, MoMA’s Director of Digital Learning. “Students tell us that the courses enrich their lives and motivate them to continue on their creative paths. Thanks to the support from Volkswagen Group of America, we can continue to develop and offer a variety of courses, allowing our online audiences to grow and thrive.”

Since 2011, Volkswagen Group of America has supported the work of MoMA and MoMA PS1, concentrating on the development and expansion of educational projects. Along with the web-based educational programs, Volkswagen also sponsors the projects of MoMA Studio within this framework. Located in the Museum’s Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building, the MoMA Studio is a space that allows visitors of all ages to engage in art-making activities, inviting them to tap into their creative potential and gain new insights.

Since the partnership with Volkswagen Group of America began, MoMA Studio has offered five multi-week interactive programs, focusing on creative aspects as well as ecological sustainability and communal life. Beyond the Cut-Out, which premiered on October 23, 2014, and runs through January 11, 2015, is the latest art experience offered by the MoMA Studio. Accompanying the exhibition Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs, the Studio gives visitors of all ages the chance to experiment with the creative materials used by Matisse and to discuss his work with artists and curators.

About MoMA’s Online Courses
MoMA offers seven courses year-round that accommodate varying levels of study. Nearly 1,200 students globally have enrolled in MoMA’s online art courses in 2014. To date, approximately 5,300 students from 76 countries have participated in the online courses since the program’s inception. The top 10 countries with the highest enrollment include the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Great Britain (UK), Spain, India, France and China.

In 2014, the course Catalysts: Artists Creating with Sound, Video, and Time won the “Best of Web in Education” award from the Museums & the Web conference. The American Alliance of Museums Media and Technology Professional Network’s annual MUSE awards recognized the MoMA Digital Learning project Art & Inquiry, which earned an “honorable mention” in the “Education and Outreach” category.

For more information on MoMA’s online educational content, please visit www.moma.org/learn/courses and www.moma.org/momalearning.

About the Volkswagen Group of America, MoMA and MoMA PS1 Partnership
Volkswagen Group of America, MoMA, and MoMA PS1’s extensive multi-year partnership supports exhibitions and education initiatives, including the expansion of MoMA’s online course offerings and a series of installations in MoMA’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.

In 2010, MoMA launched a highly successful pilot program for online courses which has grown to include seven premium courses and two free massive open online courses (MOOCs) for teachers, comprising the largest online course program produced by a museum.

The partnership supports exhibitions in MoMA’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. This space, designed in 1953 by Philip Johnson, is among the city’s most beloved outdoor green, recreational spaces. The first installation, Figure in the Garden, an exhibition of 18 sculptures from the Museum’s collection including works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, and Joan Miró, has been followed by the exhibition Modern Monument which is on view since summer.

In 2011, Volkswagen Group of America supported an important exhibition of Francis Alÿs, which was on view at both MoMA and MoMA PS1, and subsequently donated two works from the exhibition—Tornado (2000- 2010) and Mirage (A Story of Deception) (2003-2006)—to MoMA. In 2012, Volkswagen Group of America supported Kraftwerk – Retrospective 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, the first live retrospective of the German electronic music pioneers. Kraftwerk performed live at MoMA for eight consecutive evenings in April, and also created a special eight-channel video installation specifically for the VW Dome at MoMA PS1.

EXPO1: New York, which opened from May to July 2013, and included the donation of the VW Dome 2, marked the apex of the ongoing partnership between Volkswagen Group of America, MoMA and MoMA PS1. Recent exhibition sponsorships also include Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963–2010, which was the first comprehensive retrospective of Sigmar Polke (German, 1941–2010), encompassing Polke’s work across all mediums, including painting, photography, film, drawing, prints, and sculpture.

About Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. VWGoA operates a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee and houses the U.S. operations of a worldwide family of distinguished and exciting brands including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen, as well as VW Credit, Inc. Founded in 1955, the company's headquarters are in Herndon, Va.; VWGoA brings vehicles to the U.S. that marry the science of engineering and the art of styling, with the goal of offering attractive, safe, and eco-conscious automobiles that are competitive and set world standards in their respective classes. The company has approximately 6,000 employees in the United States and sells its vehicles through a network of approximately 1,000 dealers.