Rene MacVay, sophomore English teacher at Saints, was selected as one of only 51 participants of the 2015 National Gallery of Art Teacher Institute on Art of the Renaissance held in Washington, D.C., in July and August of 2015. The six-day seminar brought together teachers of art, English, history, math, and related subjects from 25 states. The program emphasized the social and cultural context of Renaissance art in Italy and Northern countries between the 14th and 16th centuries. The term Renaissance, meaning “rebirth,” refers to the humanistic revival of classical culture and learning with its underlying belief in the creative potential of humankind. Participants studied works by leading Renaissance artists as represented in the Gallery’s permanent collection, including the painters Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Jan van Eyck, and Rogier van der Weyden. Participants learned about the development of oil-painting techniques, the role of prints in disseminating new ideas, using works of art as primary resources in classroom instruction, incorporating art into interdisciplinary teaching, and strengthening students’ visual literacy.

Through lectures, gallery talks, and hands-on activities, participants analyzed Renaissance artworks and focused on interdisciplinary teaching strategies. Activities were designed to meet teachers’ personal and professional enrichment needs. A demonstration of Venetian painting techniques and a site visit to a printmaker’s studio at Georgetown University rounded out the Institute’s course of study.