Kansas City, MO. Jan 11, 2016–The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City is the recipient of a $1 million grant from the David T. Beals III Charitable Trust, Bank of America, Trustee. Beals, a former Trustee of the museum, was married to Jeanne McCray Beals, sister of former Trustee Harry McCray. This $1 million grant will be used for education programs and to celebrate the accomplishments of Rosie Riordan, Head, School and Educator Services, for the grant’s 12-month period.

“We are gratified to be able to continue our outstanding education programs with the generous assistance from the Beals Trust,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, the Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell CEO & Director of the Nelson-Atkins. “In the absence of arts learning in so many schools, our education initiatives provide ways for students to experience original works of world art and to explore their own artistic abilities. Beyond the walls of the museum we work with schools and teachers, online and in person, to find ways in which the arts can enrich classroom curriculum learning and improve overall student performance.”

Riordan has received numerous distinctions, most recently the 2015 Outstanding Art Educator-Museum Education award from the Kansas Art Association. She came to the Nelson-Atkins as Head of School and Educator Services in June 2012 after more than twenty years as an art teacher in the Shawnee Mission, Kansas School District. Since arriving, she has planned and implemented new education programs for the museum. In 2013, Riordan initiated Thinking Through Art, a program that combines Visual Thinking Strategies with Common Core Curriculum to improve students’ performance in all classroom subjects. The program is currently in its pilot phase in two schools, but student scores have shown marked improvement. So that the program could be implemented on a wider basis than museum staff and volunteers alone could support, Riordan and several other education staff became certified to offer VTS training to local teachers so they can bring this approach to their schools.

Riordan oversees school tours and workshops, the School Incentive Program, the Educator Resource Center, teacher workshops, and Community Programs. She works with K-12 schools and teachers to make sure that the programs and materials offered by the museum respond to current curriculum and student/teacher needs, both in visits to the museum and in the classroom. In addition, she and her staff work with youth-serving organizations in the community to make sure that our programs for youth groups outside the school context are as accessible as possible.

Riordan was named 2014 Educator of the Year by the Missouri Arts Education Association (MAEA). The award cited Riordan’s accomplishments, including the creation of Teacher Appreciation Night, which in its first year engaged more than 400 teachers with over 20 regional museum sites, exploring what museums offer to enhance classroom learning. Teacher Appreciation Night is now an annual event at the Nelson-Atkins.