Past Events

Curation and Disability Justice presentation by Alison Bergblom Johnson

Feb. 16, 2023 | 6:00 PM | Northrup King Building

It is known there is a need for a more inclusive connection between the art disability community and the broader art community. Alison Bergblom Johnson is going to address disability justice through the lens of art and how galleries and other organizations can work with artists with disabilities to curate shows. Join us Thursday, February 16 at 6:00 PM for a presentation. More details are in the UMN Events Calendar .

Email Nik Fernholz for more information. fern0104@umn.edu.

Past Exhibitions

Education for All: The Legacy of Comenius

September 23–24, 2022

Jan Amos Comenius (Jan Ámos Komenský: Czech), (1592-1670) shaped education, philosophy, and international diplomacy. The year 2022 marked the 430th anniversary of his birth.

Jan Amos Comenius (Jan Ámos Komenský: Czech), (1592-1670).

The Education for All exhibition and symposium honored the life and legacy of Comenius, including a description of his ground-breaking work and highlighting its relevance to the 21st century.

Jan Amos Comenius is considered the father of modern education. He was born in 1592 in Nivnice, Moravia and died in 1670 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. From the persecution and hardships he suffered in his life, he came to develop a philosophy, called pan sophism, which emphasized political unity, religious reconciliation, and cooperation in education. This philosophy of pan sophism related education to everyday life and called for a systematic relationship to be developed for all knowledge. He advocated teaching in the common or vernacular language of students rather than in Latin, and the establishment of a universal system of education with opportunities that included women, children, and peoples of all nations.

The two-day symposium opened with a 17-panel display depicting the life and legacy of Comenius. This was followed by an international reception, a presentation on the Czech Republic’s presidency of the European Union, a panel of Fulbright scholars from various disciplines, a lecture on the legacy of Comenius, and a film about his life.

The contributors in attendance were the Czech & Slovak Cultural Center of Minnesota, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago, the Office of the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Minneapolis, Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota, the University of Minnesota, and the University of St. Thomas.

Please contact Renáta Tichá at tich0018@umn.edu with any questions.

Discovery Magazine | story from the University of Minnesota Foundation

Take a look at the story, Art for All published in the UMN Foundation's magazine Discovery. The artwork presented is from the exhibit entrance by artists Lena Osman, Derek Ouradnik, Tina Parry, and Nate Woodard.

Connect Magazine | story from the College of Education and Human Development

CEHD's Connect Magazine featured a story about inclusive art at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain and the Blythe Brenden-Mann Community Center, the new home for Art for All's art installation space. The Inclusive art story can be found at CEHD News or by downloading the magazine PDF .

Impact: Careers in the Arts

Art for All founder Sheryl Evelo and program manager Nik Fernholz profiled the growing program in an issue of Impact, ICI’s flagship publication. The article shares Art for All’s vision for supporting the work of artists with disabilities through philanthropic support.