Students in the Art of Mathematics course received a private tour of the Allentown Art Museum from Nicole Mangold, AAM教育经理, explored the museum’s on-site Frank Lloyd Wright Library, and found math concepts in different works of art for a class presentation.
宾州中央谷. — 十大网赌靠谱网址平台 (PSU-LV) students studying the intersection of art and math as part of the Art of Mathematics course had the opportunity to put some of their classroom theory into practice with a recent visit to the Allentown Art Museum (AAM). Ann Lalik, arts coordinator and director of the Ronald K. 德龙画廊, 还有拉里·穆索利诺, assistant teaching professor of mathematics at PSU-LV, co-teach the course and accompanied the students on the tour.
Nicole Mangold, manager of education at the AAM, gave the students a personal tour of the facility. Besides learning more about the various pieces in the permanent collection, the students were able to explore the museum’s Frank Lloyd Wright Library.
“Frank Lloyd Wright used a lot of geometry in his architectural designs, and there were many technical aspects in his work,拉里克说, noting the course curriculum does cover 体系结构. “在课堂上, 我们讨论斐波那契数列, 黄金螺旋, 的角度来看, 瓷砖, 和镶嵌. The Golden Spiral is a design concept used by artists which is based on the Golden rectangle and the Fibonacci sequence,拉里克说.
Admiring and learning about the artwork was not the students’ only assignment during the visit.
“We asked students to explore the museum and try to find examples of where art and math might intersect,穆索利诺说. “Students were asked to look at works from a different 的角度来看 and find the mathematical connections. Sometimes [using math] is intentional on the part of the artist, to create a pleasing effect. When artwork and other compositions are created in a certain 的角度来看, 这对人类的大脑是愉悦的.”
然后，学生们必须研究这项工作, 它的艺术家, and any mathematical connections identified in preparation for a class presentation.
Lalik and Musolino said they wanted to get the students out of the classroom and into an environment where they could see course material applied in real life.
“It’s good to get the students out of the classroom and see the artwork in its own environment, and hearing from a curator gives it all a fresh 的角度来看,穆索利诺说. “It’s one thing to see a picture of a painting, but it’s different to see it in real life, where you can see the intricate brushwork and other details.”
Finding connections in artwork has also made the math less intimidating for students, Musolino said. "The premise is to give students a whole different angle to appreciate mathematics. In high school, math can be torturous and not interesting for some students. This course exposes students to the hidden beauty and harmony of math. The emphasis is to explore the beauty of mathematics from the standpoint of artistic designs, 识别模式, 以及它在音乐中的应用, 跳舞, 体系结构, 与自然.”
For Lalik, just getting the students to the museum was important.
“Most of the students had never been to the museum before. 这是一个很特别的地方. It’s so important for them to be connected to their community resources on many levels. To go and visit an art museum is not something many students would normally do, 但事实上，它现在是免费的, it’s definitely a place they can visit again. 我们校园里有艺术活动, 这样他们就能看到了, 但博物馆是一个说明, “这门艺术真的很重要,’”拉里克说.
