Using Art to Promote Student Learning and Build Community Partnerships

In his vision for the ”New Museum,” John Cotton Dana advocated placing art close to books and journals, offering arts related programs, and developing an art collection to enhance visual learning. Dana Library, located on the Newark Campus of Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, has succeeded in implementing these principles through its multifaceted arts program. Rotating fine arts and pedagogical exhibits along with a permanent art collection overrides the language and cultural differences of a diverse student body and the surrounding community. Interactions with the art support learning and self-discovery. The exhibit spaces and accompanying programming draw in New Jersey artists and local cultural organizations, strengthening the library’s outreach and the campus’s influence.