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Grand Rapids Art Museum
Grand Rapids, MI
The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) collaborated with a local interdisciplinary artist, Mandy Cano Villalobos, as well as a local ballet company, Deos Ballet for the Interactive Student Experiences to create an interdisciplinary experience for middle school and high school students and educators. Students participated in three immersive experiences during their two-hour visit to GRAM: the "Border Cantos | Sonic Border" exhibition tour experience with GRAM Docents in the galleries; a ballet performance and subsequent breakout activities including small group discussions and movement exercises with professional dancers from the Deos Ballet; and a Sound Innovation Maker Station artmaking activity with artist Mandy Cano Villalobos.
Grand Rapids Art Museum hoped to reach 600 students with this interdisciplinary activity and to reach new visitors through this exhibition presentation through partnerships with local schools.
GRAM reached 525 students in this program and provided a highly impactful and inclusive experience for local middle and high school students, many of whom had never visited a museum before. Through a combination of gallery tours, a contemporary ballet performance, interactive discussions, hands-on artmaking, and bilingual interpretation, students engaged multiple senses and gained deeper cultural awareness. Teachers reported overwhelmingly positive feedback, noting that the program was well-organized, thoughtfully designed, and deeply engaging for students of diverse abilities, interests, and learning styles.According to survey responses from 11 teachers, 10 felt the program significantly increased students' empathy, with students reflecting immigration and border issues in new, more personal ways.
To create a meaningful and inclusive student program, design interdisciplinary, multisensory experiences that invite personal expression, foster empathy, and ensure accessibility. Consider partnering with local artists and offering the program at no cost to eliminate barriers to participation.
In this six-week program, the Birmingham Museum of Art partnered with local schools to engage students with John Rhoden’s sculpture, "Head" using it as inspiration to create their own personalized facial casts.
Art Museum of South Texas (AMST) convened their Teen Advisory Council to create and participate in artmaking, financial, and business workshops centered on themes from "Native Impressions."
In this six-week program, the Birmingham Museum of Art partnered with local schools to engage students with John Rhoden’s sculpture, "Head" using it as inspiration to create their own personalized facial casts.
Art Museum of South Texas (AMST) convened their Teen Advisory Council to create and participate in artmaking, financial, and business workshops centered on themes from "Native Impressions."
