Travelling Centenary Exhibition - A Montessori Journey

A Montessori Journey, an exhibition depicting the history and legacy of the Montessori method and Maria Montessori, kicks of its tour during the Centenary Year.

A Montessori Journey uses historical and contemporary photos as well as artwork, Montessori furniture and artifacts to dramatically depict the development of Montessori and showcase its legacy.

As a result of an international effort involving Germany, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, in cooperation with Centenary Committee of the Association Montessori Internationale, the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA) presents this exhibit of more than twenty historical and contemporary stations, including a photographic collection that has never before been assembled in one place. Visitors can tour a life-size representation of the Vienna Haus der Kinder indoor/outdoor environment form the 1920s and 1930s, view rare period Montessori artifacts, and interact with a video library that brings alive the widespread and rapid diffusion of Montessori’s vision. The exhibit culminates with a mural of children’s art from Montessori schools around the world, visually depicting our planet from the origin of the universe to a vision of peace on Earth.

The Journey begins on Via Di Marsi, San Lorenzo, Rome, in 1907, and takes the participant through a visual encounter with children through space and time, spanning a century. The exhibit features two routes, the historical route and the contemporary route. The historical route shows Italy, the United States, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, and India when their cultures first encountered Dr. Montessori’s child-centered principles and prepared environments. The contemporary walk shows a wide array of countries with culminating Montessori themes touching on the spiritual convictions of Montessori’s deepening vision of the universal child and peace through educational practice.

Exhibit Patrons
Anonymous Donation through St. Helena Montessori School
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the AMI Centenary Committee
John and Paula Lillard
Montessori Training Center of Minnesota (MTCM)
Dr. Thomas Mueller, managing director, VS-furniture
Special Acknowledgement: P. Johannes Mueller, first German manufacturer of Montessori material, since 1914
Nicholas and Orcillia Oppenheimer

Production
Dr. Thomas Mueller, managing director, VS-furniture
North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA): David Kahn, Gerard Leonard

Sponsors and Exhibit Locations
Aidan Montessori School, Siena Academy, Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola College, and other local schools, Washington D.C.
American Montessori Society, New York
Bay Area Discovery Museum, San Francisco
Humberside Montessori School, Toronto
Montessori Training Center of Minnesota (MTCM), Minneapolis
The Post Oak School, Houston

Financial Gifts
CA Montessori Children’s Centers; Kaybee Montessori, LLC; Nienhuis, Inc.

Exhibit Locations

San Francisco

Location: Bay Area Discovery Museum. More information on the Bay Area Discovery Museum - http://badm.org/home

Dates: February 14 and 15 - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., February 16 - 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., February 17 - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

New York City

A Montessori Journey will be featured at the AMS 2007 Annual Conference.

Details - http://www.amshq.org/nyc/index.php

Houston

The exhibit will be featured in Houston in conjuction with the NAMTA conference.

Location: Bank of America Center, 700 Louisiana Street, Houston TX. Admission is free! Tentative hours for the exhibit are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Dates: March 19-30, 2007 (NAMTA conference runs March 29-April 1)

Toronto

A Montessori Journey will show in Canada at Humberside Montessori School.

Location: Humberside Montessori School, 121 Kennedy Ave., Toronto, ON M6S 2X8

Dates: May 14-25, 2007

Washington D.C. 

Location (note new location): John Paul II Cultural Center, 3900 Harewood Road, NE, Washington, DC 20017, 202-635-5400

Dates: September 10-21, 2007. The exhibit will open on the evening of September 10 and close on September 21.

Days Open: Open to the public on September 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21. The exhibit is also available for touring school groups on September 12, 17, 19 by reservation only. Please contact Erica Mitchell at Aidan Montessori School, 202-387-2358 for reservations.

Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 - 5pm, Sundays 12 - 5pm.

Cleveland

Location and exact dates TBA.

Minneapolis 

The exhibit will make its final stop in Minneapolis during the NAMTA conference in October.  This will be its permanent home.

Location: Permanent Home - Montessori Training Center of Minnesota

Dates: NAMTA conference, October 18-21, 2007

Further Information:

North American Montessori Teachers' Association 

Email: staff@montessori-namta.org

Web: http://www.montessori-namta.org/NAMTA/index.html

Photos from Thomas Müller Bauhaus Exhibit