Museum in the Classroom

UMFA educators inspire creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking with authentic art objects, hands-on experiences, and art-making activities delivered to your classroom. Museum in the Classroom travels across the state—from one-room schoolhouses to metropolitan campuses—providing K–12 curriculum that supports classroom learning and introduces new concepts and techniques. All presentations and activities connect to Utah Core Standards and can be adapted to any grade level.

• During these engaging presentations, students examine authentic art objects from around the world while educators facilitate thematic conversations that encourage diverse, global perspectives.
• The art objects foster discovery as students identify their own stories and make personal connections to the cultures represented.
• Presentations include captivating and relevant art-making activities.

Contact the Museum in the Classroom coordinator or call 801.585.0014 to schedule a classroom presentation or for more information. 

Current Classroom Presentations

Connecting Utah’s Past & Present

Develop an appreciation and awareness of the art that shapes our state's history and informs our future by examining works from various Utah cultures. During the in-class presentation, students will use critical thinking skills, hands-on object handling, and art-making to make discoveries and connections. This presentation is most connected to 4th and 7th grade learning but can be adapted for any grade level. 

Our World – Past Traditions/New Voices

Explore how art tells the story of our world’s past, present, and future. During the in-class presentation, students will use critical thinking skills, hands-on object handling, and art-making to discover similarities and differences between world cultures and find connections to their own cultures and traditions. This presentation is most connected to 3rd and 6th grade learning but can be adapted for any grade level.

Printmaking

Discover the fascinating process of printmaking in your classroom! We have three different themes developed for specific grades, though all are adaptable to any grade level:

• Storytelling through Japanese Prints (K-3rd): Engage in ideas of storytelling with Japanese prints before students create their own visual story with a Gyotaku Fish Print.
• Abstract Printmaking (4-6th): Explore two abstract print artworks, focusing on shapes and lines before creating their own abstract relief prints.
• Exploring Traditions with Mexican Prints (7-12th): Look at four prints from Mexico, two historic and two contemporary to explore how traditions and culture influence our current lives. Students are then invited to create a print design answering the question: How do you see the role of your culture and traditions in your life?

Photography

Develop your visual literacy by focusing on select Elements of Art and Principles of Design. Students will examine authentic photographs, identifying and using the vocabulary of the Elements and Principles to talk about art. Students will photograph examples of each in their school landscape and make an individual photo collage using Polaroid cameras. This presentation can be adapted to any grade level.

Land art in Utah
From the comfort of their classroom, this presentation will transport students to Utah's most important land artworks, Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty and Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels. Students will explore themes in these artworks with hands-on activities which can be adapted to any grade level.