Bush Foundation Fellowships

Judi W. Petkau

2010 Leadership Fellow
Minnesota

Career Field: Education
Secondary Field: Other
Fellowship Plan: To complete a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction at the University of Minnesota
Long-Term Goal: To increase skills and deepen understanding of art museum-based research in order to support preK-16 learners and increase the effectiveness of teaching in schools and museums and across community networks

As an educator at the Weisman Art Museum, Petkau said she “lives for moments of encounter with works of art that transform” and engage students. She believes the potential for partnership between schools and museums can be a powerful tool in improving the quality of education. Petkau will complete a Ph.D. focused on museum learning at the University of Minnesota and will travel to the United Kingdom to work in collaboration with scholars from the Victoria and Albert Museum. She hopes to improve art museum-based research services to better support preK-16 learners. Petkau has been twice honored as museum educator of the year by Minnesota and, in the western region, by the National Art Education Association.