In alignment with the museum’s mission to serve K-12 communities throughout the state, the staff at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is committed to creating educational programs and to training teachers to integrate the arts back into the classroom.
In support of this commitment, we offer extensive educational outreach programs that include:
- Teacher training
Educators Workshop at the Portland Chinese Garden
Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $75 ($67.50 JSMA members)
Lisa Abia-Smith (JSMA Director of Education), Sharon Kaplan (JSMA Museum Educator), and Joan Kivka (Director of Education, Portland Chinese Garden) lead educators on a spring day of discovery at the Portland Chinese Garden. Learn about Chinese culture and the harmony of a Chinese garden as it is achieved by five major elements: plants, water, stones, architecture, and poetry. Don't miss this opportunity to explore all theresources of the Garden and the JSMA that are available to teachers and students. Participants will enjoy lunch in an authentic Chinese restaurant, experience an educator-led guided tour of the Chinese Garden, and take part in workshop activities. Fee includes lunch, roundtrip transport on a chartered bus, admission to the Portland Chinese Garden, and curriculum materials. Participants earn 5 professional development units (PDUs). Register now! Registration deadline: May 12.
- Pre-tour school visits led by staff or trained museum volunteers that provide an overview of the museum’s collection or of a specific theme (visits can be designed to fit your organization or classroom’s unique needs and can include an art activity)
- School Tours
- Post-tour studio activities
- Outreach kits containing artifacts, reproductions representing the museum’s collection, and teacher resources. Download the Teacher Resource Guides:
- Puppet theater (see below)
- ArtsBridge (see below)
NewArt Northwest - Kids
NewArt Northwest – Kids will be on view in the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art’s Cheryl Ramberg Ford Lecture Hall each weekend from November 21, 2007-January 6, 2008. This show complements NewArt Northwest, the JSMA’s fall exhibition of contemporary art by artists living in Oregon and Washington. Any K-12 student living in an area served by the JSMA is welcome to submit work to NewArt Northwest – Kids. A special reception honoring the student artists will be held on Sunday, December 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. Click here for more information and submission form.
Puppet Theater
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art’s Puppet Theater brings ancient and modern tales from around the world to life with colorful puppet shows. The group performs with hand crafted, authentically-costumed puppets for both K-12 classrooms and community groups.
The puppet shows are based on stories that have been handed down from generation to generation in China, Japan, Korea, and the American Northwest—all regions of focus in the art museum’s collection. The Dragon Theatre's newest offering, "The Vanishing Matisse", is a lively story which introduces viewers of all ages to basic art concepts.
The following show titles are available for the 2007-2008 school year:
Kintaro, a Japanese folk tale
Raven and Petral, a Native American folk tale
The Zodiac Race about the Chinese calendar in celebration of Chinese New Year (January and February only)
The Vanishing Matisse, a story for teaching the elements of art. This show may be enjoyed on its own or as a complement to a "Learning to Look" tour at the museum. (New offering in fall 2007!)
Puppet performances cost $1/attendee. If you are interested in scheduling a puppet show, please request a performance or call the education department at (541) 346-0968.
ArtsBridge at the University of Oregon
ArtsBridge at the University of Oregon, part of the ArtsBridge America network, works in partnership with local public schools to provide high-quality arts education to K-12 school children. One of the program’s primary objectives is to provide professional support for K-12 teachers in an effort to integrate the arts into the traditional curricula while addressing local, state, and national standards in the arts. ArtsBridge recognizes public schools’ need for the inclusion of arts education within a comprehensive curriculum, and is acting to aid universities in applying their vast stores of expertise and personnel on behalf of K-12 improvements in teacher support and child learning.
K-12 teachers interested in participating in ArtsBridge at the UO are asked to complete a Classroom Teacher Application and mail it to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.