The idea behind the MuseumsUni Krefeld is to present current research topics and art exhibitions in a student-friendly way. It is a joint project between the Krefeld art museums and The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR). The MuseumsUni was officially opened at the beginning of November in the presence of Krefeld's Lord Mayor Frank Meyer. The kick-off events were also attended by a school class from the Hannah-Arendt-Gymnasium and the Gymnasium am Stadtpark Uerdingen. The MuseumsUni offers pupils in Krefeld the opportunity to find out about topics outside the classroom free of charge.
Dr. Sylvia Martin, Deputy Director of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld, thanked all those involved for their commitment and emphasized that pupils should be introduced to art education in a "playful" way and that fun should not be neglected either. The events are a mixture of knowledge transfer through lectures by HSNR professors and matching art exhibitions. "With the MuseumsUni, we want to generate an interest in discovery so that pupils recognize what they are passionate about. The university's mission is also to show how the future works and what contribution science can make to it," says Dr. Thomas, President of the HSNR.
Krefeld's Lord Mayor Frank Meyer sees the MuseumsUni as an opportunity to break down students' inhibitions and reservations about studies. The offer is an opportunity to get to know studies in a setting outside the lecture hall and at the same time offers young people low-threshold access to art.
To kick things off, Dr. Jürgen Schram, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry at HSNR, gave a lecture on Krefeld's development around 1900 in the context of the skilled trades sector and the Krefeld School of Arts and Crafts. Schram told the students about the university's predecessor institution in a richly illustrated presentation.
On the final tour of the museum, the students had the opportunity to find the works of art mentioned by Professor Dr. Schram in his lecture. They were accompanied by the museum's expert art educators, who provided the pupils with background information on the works and encouraged discussion.
Although the MuseumsUni has only just been launched, the response has already been great. The five events planned for November are already fully booked.
