Students at Crookston Middle and High Schools recently stepped into new creative worlds through VR Arts Immersion™, an innovative virtual reality arts program delivered by Perpich Center for Arts Education.
Toni Beckler, Training and Development Specialist at Perpich, visited Crookston on November 11 and 12 to guide students through the immersive experience, which uses virtual reality to introduce young people to working artists, artistic traditions, and new ways of understanding the world around them.
The program is part of a collaboration between Perpich and Act One, an Arizona nonprofit dedicated to expanding students’ access to meaningful arts experiences. Through the partnership, Perpich is bringing Act One’s original virtual reality content to Minnesota classrooms, helping students explore the arts in new and engaging ways.
“The ability to share the work of artists living their dream encourages art students to pursue their dreams. I am happy to have had the opportunity to share this experience with our Crookston students,” said Susan Dufault, High School Art Teacher.
Act One’s VR Arts Immersion experiences transport students beyond the classroom through original content featuring artists, art forms and cultures. Current experiences include Freedom in Expression, which explores public art, muralism, music and creative careers, and Weaving Our Story, which centers the lives, art and cultures of six Arizona Indigenous artists.
At Crookston, students were introduced to Tyrrell Tapaha, a Navajo weaver from the Four Corners area, and Sentrock, a muralist from Phoenix, Arizona, who is now working in Chicago.
One student said, “I thought this experience helped me understand artists because I got to see their life and how they work on things.”
The experience also supports classroom learning by giving educators opportunities to connect the virtual reality content with their curriculum and extend students’ exploration of the featured artists, ideas and art forms.
“Arts education can open doors to new perspectives, ideas and possibilities,” said Beckler. “Through this experience, we’re helping Minnesota students connect with artists and stories they might not otherwise encounter, while giving teachers new opportunities to bring arts learning into their classrooms.”
Perpich will continue traveling across Minnesota to deliver VR Arts Immersion to students and support expanded access to meaningful arts learning in communities throughout the state.
Learn more about the program and the Perpich partnership at www.perpich.mn.gov/act-one-and-perpich-center-for-arts-education-bring-vr-arts-immersion-to-minnesota-students/.
About Perpich Center for Arts Education
Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, Minnesota, is a Minnesota state agency created to promote access to and opportunities in arts education for Minnesota students, educators, schools, and districts. Perpich supports teaching in and through the arts through Perpich Arts High School (Minnesota’s public arts high school for 11th & 12th graders), statewide professional development and outreach programs, and an extensive arts education library. The agency was created by the state legislature in 1985 at the urging of then Gov. Rudy Perpich. It was renamed in his honor after his death in 1995. Minnesota is one of only a handful of states in the nation with a dedicated state agency supporting arts education. Learn more at www.perpich.mn.gov.
Perpich’s Professional Development and Resource Programs (PDR) serves arts educators across the state. PDR offers initiatives that address the rapidly changing needs of Minnesota teachers, schools, and districts. A staff of Arts Education Specialists and Professional Development leaders offer guidance and assistance in the arts to schools and educators to increase student achievement and engagement.
About Act One
Since 2011, Act One has worked to ensure that every child, regardless of ZIP code or family income, has access to meaningful arts experiences. Through in-person field trips, its Culture Pass program, and its VR Arts Immersion™ program, Act One connects students and families with theater, dance, music, museums, visual art, and immersive arts education. Learn more at www.act1az.org.
