NEWS: Academics
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Fourth Form Visits Clark Art and Chapin Library
The Fourth Form took their annual trip to Williams College to visit the Chapin Rare Book Library and The Clark Art Museum on Thursday, October 11, 2012.
The annual trip is a tri-fold effort to apply a hands-on learning approach, broaden the awareness to rare books and special works of art from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance and to begin the college process by visiting near by Willams College.
This year, The Clark Art offered a special exhibit titled “Unearthed: Recent Archaeological Discoveries from Northern China.” The show connects studies of ancient civilizations and Chinese History and allows an opportunity to discuss more general themes of differences between cultures and how we know about the lives of people in the past and in other parts of the world.
The Chapin Library of Williams College documents civilization, in the broadest sense of that word – people, places, events, and ideas – through rare books, manuscripts, and other primary source materials, in all subjects and periods of history, in support of the liberal arts education provided by Williams College.
Fourth Form students at South Kent School have the extraordinary opportunity as hundreds of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty members, and visiting scholars to visit the Chapin Library. Our students benefit from one of the finest collections of rare books and manuscripts at any American college or university, and one that is also of international stature. Students see a leaf from the Gutenberg Bible (1455), the oldest manuscript in North America (810), and books of maps of the world as Europeans perceived the world in the 15th century. They are able to touch the documents and turn pages in manuscripts that are made of animal skin and illuminated with fine art work. “This is truly an incredible experience, we at South Kent School are so fortunate to have. This is an unique experience that is not offered to many,” Nancy Lyon said, Chief Operations Officer at South Kent School. “Our boys embrace the opportunity for this experience and it allows them to tap into their motivation and inquisition as learners,” she added.
“The boys were awesome and really enjoyed looking at middle age manuscripts and handling pieces of work that are worth millions of dollars,” said Kevin Vining, Fourth Form Dean.
