Marleen Hartjes and Kendra Stoner – Fostering creativity: the journey of becoming and belonging
What generational stories do we carry with us that need to be told, held, and shared? What can we learn from each other through art? How can we express our experiences through creativity? How can we shift the narrative as a Gallery?
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki wants to be a place where stories can be heard, held and shared. But for many tamariki and rangatahi, visiting the Gallery is not self-evident: transport to the Gallery is costly, and many schools can’t afford the costs. They feel underrepresented and don’t feel welcome. This is a story about how art education can be a tool for social change. It’s about implementing a holistic approach to connect and commit to schools, universities and underserved communities for long-term improvement through short-term wins for everyone involved.
Things have changed. This year was the inaugural student exhibition in the Gallery alongside many generations of artists from Aotearoa, New Zealand. It was the cherry on the cake moment of a multi-month project, working together with 500+ students from 13 secondary schools. We started in the Gallery for inspiration sessions with artist-led workshops whose art was currently on display and interactive conversations in the Gallery while exploring the exhibitions. Based on the educational year-theme, the students worked on their own artwork at school. Gallery staff visited all the schools to give every student feedback and tips on their artwork. This was the base for the selection for the final exhibition in the Gallery.
To celebrate the exhibition opening, we hosted the first Young Gallery Night: an evening for students age 16+ with dance performances inspired by the artworks in the Gallery by students from Dance Studies (University of Auckland), a fashion show by students from Fashion Whitecliffe University and an indigenous harakeke weaving workshop by student artists from Elam School of Arts, University of Auckland, alongside DJ’s, spoken word and a photo booth.
We went from only having low-touch education programmes in the Gallery, where school classes spent one or two hours in the Gallery and the Studio, to a high-impact project that fosters creativity, belonging and connection. We’re not there yet, but we started a movement and are excited to see where it grows.
Biography
Marleen Hartjes
Marleen’s career has immersed her in a diverse variety of roles across the museum world. She is driven by the belief that art can truly make a positive impact on the world and help us understand our role in it.
She strongly focuses on improving the impact of arts organisations through education and outreach projects where art can genuinely touch people and be a tool for social change.
As an innovator, accessibility advocate, artist, educator, curator, leader, and more, Marleen is excited to surround herself with the newest ideas and perspectives to continually innovate her approach to connecting visual arts to a wider audience.
And it hasn’t been unnoticed. Prestigious awards recognise her talent and work for introducing the first museum robot in Europe for visitors who are physically not able to come to the museum, a museum app for hospitals, and the multi-sensory inclusive design approach with polyphonic storytelling of the new collection presentation at the Van Abbemuseum. She has co-published two books on radical accessibility in museums and is an internationally sought-after conference speaker, advisor, and guest lecturer. Her 15+ year career has seen her work with the Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven (NL), Rijksakademie voor Beeldende Kunsten Amsterdam (NL) and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (NL).
In 2023, she moved to Aotearoa, New Zealand, to start as Senior Manager Learning & Outreach at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.
Kendra Stoner
Kendra Stoner is a seasoned arts educator with a multidisciplinary background encompassing classroom studio instruction, community arts programmes, and learning and outreach in the museum/gallery setting.
Kendra serves as a Learning Specialist at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, where she leads large-format educational programmes, including the Pat Hanly Creativity Project – which sees more than a thousand high school students participate from around the Auckland region – and has authored award-nominated children’s guides for special exhibitions. Originally from the US, Kendra earned a BFA in Studio Art and an MA in Art Education from the University of Texas at Austin before relocating to Auckland in 2016. She loves designing programmes that embrace the connection between learning and play and is driven by a passion for inclusivity and accessibility.