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  • Interdisciplinary,
  • Students

Interdisciplinary Programming for Middle and High School Students
at Grand Rapids Art Museum

The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) partnered with artist Mandy Cano Villalobos and Deos Contemporary Ballet to create an interdisciplinary, interactive program that invited middle and high school students to engage in exhibition tours, ballet performances with movement activities, and hands-on artmaking projects.
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Funding Categories

  • Contract Labor

  • Marketing & Outreach

  • Honoraria

  • Supplies

  • Translation

  • Transportation

partner

  • Grand Rapids Art Museum

location

  • Grand Rapids, MI

About

GRAM collaborated with localartist Mandy Cano Villalobos and Deos Contemporary Ballet to create an interdisciplinary experience for middle and high school students and educators. Students participated in three immersive opportunities during their two-hour visit to the museum: the "Border Cantos | Sonic Border" exhibition tour with docents; a ballet performance and subsequent breakout activities, including small group discussions and movement exercises with professional dancers; and a Sound Innovation Maker Station artmaking activity with Villalobos.

Intended Outcome

GRAM hoped to reach 600 students with this interdisciplinary activity and attract new visitors through partnerships with local schools.

Actual Outcome

GRAM reached 525 students with 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 activities, 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 participants’ empathy, having witnessed their students reflecting on immigration and border issues in new and more personal ways.

Advice Post Project

GRAM hoped to create a meaningful and inclusive student program. It also aimed to design interdisciplinary, multisensory experiences that invite personal expression, foster empathy, and ensure accessibility. Consider partnering with local artists and offering such a program at no cost to eliminate barriers to participation.

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Discover More

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  • Students,
  • Artist Collaborations,
  • Reach

Facial Cast Makingat Birmingham Museum of Art

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.

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  • Community Building,
  • Interdisciplinary,
  • Youth and Family,
  • Learning,
  • Perception,
  • Students

AMSTeensArt Council

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."

Related exhibitions

Border Cantos | Sonic Border

Read More
Border Cantos Sonic Border Richard Musrach Wall, Jacumba, California

Discover More

image
  • Students,
  • Artist Collaborations,
  • Reach

Facial Cast Makingat Birmingham Museum of Art

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.

image
  • Community Building,
  • Interdisciplinary,
  • Youth and Family,
  • Learning,
  • Perception,
  • Students

AMSTeensArt Council

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."

Learn MoreAbout This Activity

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Contact

  • education@artbridgesfoundation.org

downloadable resources

  • Student Programming Flyer