#GivingTuesday is a global day of philanthropy celebrating the work of non-profit organizations across the world. This year, our wonderful Board Member, Docent, and Studio Artist Robin Motooka-Blahut has written you a special message about why she supports AMOCA's Education & Outreach Programs and why you should too!

Dear Friend,

My name is Robin Motooka-Blahut and I’m a proud Board Member, Docent, and Studio Artist at the American Museum of Ceramic Art. I’m writing to you this GivingTuesday to encourage your support of AMOCA’s Education & Outreach Programs. Let’s make a difference on this important fundraising holiday!

I’m a lifelong educator, a mother, a wife, an artist, and a community volunteer. I became an educator in 1986, teaching students in grades 2 through 8. I’ve dedicated my life to education because there is no higher calling than to invest in the future through teaching and sharing experiences with our children.

My involvement with AMOCA began with an introductory clay class in 2019, and I joined the docent program in 2022. As a docent, I’ve had the honor of hosting hundreds of K-12 students and leading them on interpretive tours of our galleries. As an accessible cultural institution, AMOCA enriches students' lives by introducing them to new artists, different customs, and innovative artistic techniques. Visiting the museum opens their minds and expands their understanding of how they can engage with the world around them.

I’ve seen first-hand how a child’s face lights up when they realize their rock collection isn’t so different from the Museum’s ceramic collection; I’ve seen them puzzle over how a sculpture that looks like a mayonnaise jar can actually be made out of clay from the earth; and I’ve listened to them as they passionately share all of the different ways that they create meaning and connect with the artwork, sharing similarities and differences in their interpretations. I am grateful that AMOCA helps me continue to pursue my passion as an educator, affording me these rewarding “aha” moments with the students.

Art is an integral part of education because everyone can relate to it, in one way or another. Art speaks across barriers and invites each person to bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the table. We view messages of beauty, hope, angst, or wonder, and then internalize the artwork and make meaning from it. To have the honor of watching a student undergo that process is the reason that I volunteer.

If you feel the same way I do, please join me in supporting AMOCA’s Education and Outreach efforts by donating today.

With appreciation,

Robin Motooka-Blahut

Lifetime Educator and AMOCA Board Member, Docent, & Studio Artist

The American Museum of Ceramic Art / AMOCA champions the art, history, creation, and technology of ceramics through exhibitions, collections, outreach, and studio programming. The Museum is an emerging cultural institution of national and international significance, a vanguard for recognizing the place of ceramics in the visual arts community, an organization dedicated to the promotion of equitable access to the arts, and an important and early participant in the economic revival of the Pomona Valley.

AMOCA's GivingTuesday 2024

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