4 Ways Kluge-Ruhe Supports UVA Faculty

Let us help you make global connections in your course content, using object-based research and our knowledgeable staff.

Ricardo Idagi teaching at Kluge-Ruhe. Photo by Tom Cogill.

Janet Fieldhouse teaching at UVA. Photo by Tom Cogill.

Judy Watson teaching at UVA. Photo by Tom Cogill.

Michael Kempson teaching at UVA.

Vernon Ah Kee at UVA.

Yhonnie Scarce with Bill Bennet's UVa sculpture class. Photo by Tom Cogill.

David Bosun at UVA. Photo by Tom Cogill.

Djambawa Marawili AM teaching in the UVA Law School.

Carol McGregor teaching at UVA.

Henry F. Skerritt giving a lecture at UVA.

Damien Shen teaching drawing at UVA.

Students drawing in the style of Vernon Ah Kee.

Engaging, cross-disciplinary curricular support

Our permanent collection, our visiting artists and scholars, and our extensive professional network are vital curricular resources for UVA faculty. The expertise of our staff is world-class, and we are passionate about fulfilling the University’s teaching mission whenever possible. While the field of Indigenous Australian art and culture may at first appear focused entirely on art, we have collaborated with faculty in the following disciplines and departments: Art History; Studio Art; Museum Studies; Anthropology; Archaeology; Sociology; Global Studies; History; Music; Women, Gender and Sexuality; Creative Writing; Astronomy; Media Studies; Environmental Sciences; the School of Law; and the School of Business.

Object-based learning with our world-class permanent collection

The 2200 artworks in our collection are rich examples of creative expression that speak poignantly to a wide variety of disciplines. Additionally, we often receive artworks on loan from institutions in Australia and elsewhere. We regularly exhibit Indigenous Australian art on UVA Grounds in such places as the Fralin Museum of Art, the Charles L. Brown Science and Engineering Library and the Rotunda. Object-based learning develops the skill of careful observation, encourages deep critical thinking, sparks interest in new areas of study and provides ripe opportunities for stimulating discussion.

Bring Knowledge Holders to your classroom

We bring more than 25 visiting artists and scholars to UVA each year, either in person or virtually. Our residency program is a model of success for integrating artists into the classroom and connecting people from across the world in cultural exchange and mutual dialogue. In prioritizing Indigenous voices and Indigenous knowledges, students learn to appreciate cultural difference and diverse notions of identity in surprising and resonant ways, while also understanding themselves as belonging to a common human experience.

Connecting you with the world’s best

As a leader in our field and a convener of institutions and individuals working in Indigenous studies, we have an extensive network of colleagues in academia and the museum field in Australia and beyond.

How to Access Curricular Support

Museum staff can assist with providing a speaker to guest-lecture to your class on Grounds, organizing a visit to the museum, or providing resources to help you incorporate Indigenous perspectives into your class. Please contact Education and Program Manager Lauren Maupin at ldm3d@virginia.edu to let us know how we can be a resource for you.