The Art Explorers program provides an in-depth experience of the collections at The Speed Art Museum for teachers and students in grades 1 - 12 located in the Louisville metropolitan area

In the design of the program, a school educator collaborates with an educator from the museum in customizing a program that uses the museum’s resources to help meet content goals related to the visual arts and the humanities. A core group of up to 30 students and their teacher work with the educator during 3 one-hour visits in their classroom. The class then visits The Speed Art Museum to experience actual works related to their classroom experiences.

Key to the success of the Art Explorers program is the high degree of teacher and student interest and commitment. The program works with those educators and students who are motivated and especially poised to learn more deeply about the visual arts and the humanities.

School educators interested in participating in the Art Explorers program are able to choose from a menu of content options or propose their own projects. The museum’s current content menu includes:• Art historical periods from Ancient Egypt to Contemporary• Elements of Art• Principles of Design• Writing About the Visual Arts• Introduction to West African Art• Introduction to Native American art from the Great Plains.

There is a $250 participation fee for schools participating in the Art Explorers program. The school also pays costs towards the field trip to The Speed Art Museum, with student fees and costs for transportation subsidized by the museum.

For more information on the Art Explorers program contact Martin Rollins at 502.634.2715 mrollins@speedmuseum.org or Joel Javier at 502.634.2966 jjavier@speedmuseum.org

In the five years the Art Explorers program has been in operation, the museum has collaborated with ESL instructors, Arts and Humanities instructors, Media Specialists, Language Arts instructors and Visual Art specialists. Art Explorers programs have been initiated at Wheatley Elementary, Field Elementary, Conway Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Noe Middle School and Seneca High School in the Jefferson County Public Schools. Cedar Grove Elementary in Bullitt County has also participated in the program.