The Technical College of the Lowcountry Foundation announces the creation of the TCL Teaching Collection consisting of fine art, antiques, artifacts and memorabilia donated to the college to facilitate student and faculty learning, research and curriculum development.
“The Teaching Collection will benefit the entire college as well as the community as a whole by providing a rich and interesting environment for learning,” TCL Foundation Executive Director Dianne Garnett said. “We are excited about this innovative approach to furthering our mission of enhancing the College’s teaching and educational capabilities.”
The TCL Foundation will own the Collection, while day-to-day operations will be overseen by a professional management company that specializes in fine collectibles. This company is owned and operated by Larry Heichel and accredited appraiser Charles McCracken, D.Ed., ISA-AM, both of Hilton Head Island.
TCL is currently seeking donations for the Collection, which will be exhibited in public spaces at strategic locations on TCL campuses.
Parts of the Collection will be made available for loan to other colleges, museums, libraries and businesses in the region. In addition to exhibiting donated items, the TCL Foundation will plan events highlighting special objects and collections being gathered.
“The Collection will expose our students and the community to a new awareness of the contributions that objects of all kinds make to enhance our lives,” Garnett said.
The Collection will also allow faculty to explore new applications that can expand dimensions of their classes and will advance continuing education opportunities for professionals.
McCracken says that introducing students to objects like those in the Collection will enhance the learning experience by fostering keener observation and thinking.
“Objects have social and political context through time just like people,” he said. “Object-based study – the study of material culture – leads to understanding the culture from which they originated. It provides a new path to integrating aspects of critical and creative thinking.”
If you are interested in donating an item or an entire collection, please contact Charles McCracken at 843.301.2505, Larry Heichel at 843.384.6111 or Dianne Garnett at 843.525.8294.
