Art In The School

Causes: Arts & Culture, Arts, Culture & Humanities, Arts Education, Visual Arts

Mission:  Art in the School’s Mission: Open the doors to learning for children through the visual arts.

The organization was established in 1985 to provide visual art education in public schools by involving parents in the education of their children.  The program has been recognized by the Albuquerque Arts Alliance Bravos Awards, and was identified as one of 22 “model programs” by the Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. At the time it was founded, art had been completely eliminated from the public schools in Albuquerque. Despite some improvements in education by the public schools to increase art education, opportunities for art are still limited in New Mexico. Children from kindergarten through 8th grade are served by Art in the School in three programs:

1. Volunteer Program: Our unique training workshops have prepared parent volunteers since 1985 to teach art in their children’s classrooms, providing a wonderful opportunity for mentoring and involvement in the schools. Children from the program’s early years are now joining us as new volunteers to benefit their children. Volunteers report that the program inspires them to appreciate and understand the value in art and art making; some have become teachers as a result. Art in the School has published extensive visual art curriculum that provide a framework for instruction. Volunteers and teachers in our programs are given an 8 – 12 page lesson guide that includes vocabulary, art history background information, art making activities, extension ideas, a bibliography and additional resources. Children who benefit from our lessons learn about art in its cultural context by looking at and discussing works of art, then express their own unique ideas through art making. Our lessons are aligned with state educational standards and benchmarks.

2. After School Art Program for Title I Schools – This program was developed in collaboration with the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) Art Education Program faculty and Albuquerque Public Schools'' (APS) Fine Arts staff. UNM Art Education graduate students teach the program. The curriculum includes looking at and discussing art images, then making artwork. The ten lessons are on a wide range of media: drawing, water color painting, clay work, Hispanic tin work, modern painting, and more.

3. Professional Development Workshops for Teachers – Art educators instruct teachers how to integrate art across the curriculum.