American Mural Project Inc

MUSEUM: CONSTRUCT AND EXHIBIT THREE DIMENSIONAL PAINTING CALLED THE AMERICAN MURAL PROJECT DEPICTING AMERICANS WORKING AT VARIOUS JOBS; A CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN INGENUITY, PRODUCTIVITY AND COMMITMENT TO WORK

STUDIO AND BUILDING UPDATEINSTALLTION OF THE MANY MURAL SECTIONS TOOK PLACE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BY THE END OF 2020 INSTALLATION OF THE MURAL WAS APPROXIMATELY 70% COMPLETE. OF THE MANY MURAL SECTIONS, 95% OF THEM ARE COMPLETE NOW. REVIEW OF THE MANY COLLABORATIVE STATES PROJECTS WAS DONE AND PLANNING ON HOW THEY WILL BE INSTALLED AT AMP WAS INITIATED.

EDUCATION PROGRAMSIN 2020, AMP AND MOST NONPROFITS FACED SERIOUS CHALLENGES AS ALL LIVE PROGRAMMING CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT MID-MARCH. THE HEALTH/ECONOMIC CRISIS, RACIAL UNREST, AND POLITICAL TURMOIL ADDED TO THE NORMAL HURDLES A SMALL ORGANIZATION MUST NAVIGATE TO STAY AFLOAT AND PURSUE ITS MISSION. AFTER AN INITIAL PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT, AMP SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED SUMMER PROGRAMMING TO A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED AUDIENCE, AND SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED PROGRAMMING TO CHILDREN FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING TO WINSTEDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHAMPS PROGRAM, AND TO INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES, THROUGH A NEW HIGHLY INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL, REMOTE MODEL. WE ANTICIPATE CONTINUING TO OFFER THIS VIRTUAL, REMOTE PROGRAMMING TO SOME EXTENT, EVEN AFTER THE PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE IT ENABLES KIDS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO CONNECT TO AMP IN A HIGHLY ENGAGING WAY.IN ITS 20-YEAR HISTORY, AMP HAS GROWN THROUGH TWO DISTINCT PHASES, EACH WITH A DIFFERENT FOCUS. THE INITIAL YEARS OF CREATING THE MURAL WERE BUILT ON STRATEGIC CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO CREATE EACH USA STATE COLLABORATIVE PROJECT. IN RECENT YEARS, AMP HAS FOCUSED PROGRAMMING EFFORTS ON ESTABLISHING ITS IDENTITY AND AS A PLACE IN THE WINSTED COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING TOWNS WHERE LEARNING OCCURS. LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PUBLIC SCHOOL, LOCAL BUSINESSES AND OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE THE BEDROCK OF AMPS PROGRAM GROWTH. AMP HAS RECRUITED A SMALL, HIGH-CALIBER GROUP OF CONTRACTED TEACHING ARTISTS WHOSE INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR PROGRAMMING AND PHILOSOPHY OF WORKING WITH STUDENTS REFLECTED AMPS APPROACH TO STUDENT DIRECTED LEARNING AND COLLABORATION.

WORKER-IN-TRAINING (WIT) PROGRAMSAMP RAN ITS FOURTH SUMMER OF THE DIGITAL STORYTELLING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. TWO INTERNS WORKED WITH AMPS TEACHING ARTISTS AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW, FILM, EDIT, AND COLLABORATE ON A STUDENT DRIVEN PROMOTIONAL VIDEO SUPPORTING AMPS OUTDOOR DESIGN AND BUILD SUMMER PROGRAM. OUR WORKER IN TRAINING (WIT) PROGRAM THAT INVOLVES INTERNSHIPS FOR STUDENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUPPORTED ALL PROGRAMS FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN (CHAMPS, SUMMER, VIRTUAL/REMOTE). THE WIT INTERNS EXPERIENCED BEING AN INTEGRAL PART OF A WORKING TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS WHO SHARED THE GOAL OF STRUCTURING, MARKETING, DELIVERING AND EVALUATING ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING FOR GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS. AMP ALSO RAN ITS DIGITAL STORY WORK (DSW) PROGRAM, BUT WITH FEWER PARTICIPANTS (TWO) THAN IN NON-COVID YEARS. ADDITIONALLY, WE PILOTED A HIGH SCHOOL SERVICE INTERNSHIP, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL FOR BOTH THE STUDENT AND AMP, WHEREBY SHE WAS GIVEN VIDEO ASSIGNMENTS BY AMP AND WAS MENTORED BY A FILM PROFESSIONAL THROUGH EACH ASSIGNMENT.