
The social responsibilities of public museums are not limited to pursuits specific to a field of study. It is our belief that public museums such as the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) and its parent organization the Institute of Jamaica, can make meaningful contributions towards social and professional development, even in this time of crisis – the COVID-19 virus pandemic. It is with this in mind that the NGJ is pleased to launch the Art-Ed Support project, a series of art educational initiatives that will be delivered online using the NGJ’s current social media networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and this blog. Since the temporary closure of cultural entities to the public on March 14, 2020, as a result of the current health crisis in Jamaica, the NGJ has been working assiduously to optimize the institution’s social media facilitations in order to continue the engagement of our online audience groups as well as to invite new users. Writivity Essentials – a spin-off from the Education Department’s innovative writing workshop series WRITIVITY – will be the first initiative of Art-Ed Support.

Art-Ed Support specifically aims to provide informational resources for a variety of scholastic and academic activities associated with the study and application of visual arts, especially concerning Jamaican artists and their creations. Developed for students, educators, and researchers from early childhood to tertiary levels, Art-Ed Support was conceptualized by referencing years of development in museum educational programming at the NGJ. The content of Art-Ed Support will be in the form of text documents, images and audio-visuals. As it is currently unclear when the COVID-19 health crisis will be stabilized in Jamaica and the rest of the world, the Education Department is prepared to continue the activities of this project as a long-term endeavour. This will also include the development of new, interesting, and relevant engagements.
Writivity Essentials: Journaling for CSEC Visual Arts
Writivity Essentials will cover three topic areas critical to the development of the CSEC Visual Arts Reflective Journal, a research document and examination requirement for CSEC Visual Arts students and candidates. The topic areas are as follows:

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