What is VanGo!?

The Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM), founded in 1989 and based in Harrisburg, developed the VanGo! museum on wheels in 1992. The mission of the VanGo! program is to provide exposure to original works of art to people who otherwise lack such opportunities. At the heart of this project is a belief that an art educational experience of quality should expose viewers to the primary source, rather than reproductions.

VanGo! exhibitions follow the school year, running from September through July. Each year the exhibit on the bus changes, each one bringing original works of art to schools, community festivals, business, and retirement centers. The works of art are chosen from leading artists who have exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the world. Each artist includes with his or her piece a short biography and resume of their past exhibitions, which is available on the bus in gallery notes. VanGo! exhibitions are designed to reach a broad range of people and stimulate ideas across the classroom curriculum.

The program's main areas of focus for advertisement and travel are roughly ten counties surrounding the Harrisburg area. However, it has traveled as far as Pittsburgh, Scranton, Philadelphia, and many places in between. VanGo! reaches citizens in areas where a quality art museum may be hours away. Host sites are charged a fee for visits; this fee varies according to location. Due to economic conditions prevalent in many areas of our state, some institutions are unable to provide the required fees. In these cases SAM suggests patrons, area businesses and organizations that might be interested in sponsoring VanGo! Among various partners have been and are the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), The Children's Home Foundation, Hershey Foods, and Tyco Corporation.

Educational components of the VanGo! program include an informative all- school assembly and an interdisciplinary teacher's manual that includes quickstep art activities and museum etiquette worksheets. The manual can be downloaded from our site for distribution to all participating classroom teachers at a hosting school and is intended to provide them with a means to incorporate art into their curriculum. The manual can be used year round or in conjunction with the VanGo! program. To assist teachers when using the manual, VanGo! current exhibitions are posted on our website.

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