Cincinnati Art Museum
953 Eden Park Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Family Learnoing Programs and the Rosenthal Education Center
The REC and Family Learning programs at the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) provide arts education and engagement opportunities for Cincinnati children of all ages and their families. Individual programs include Baby Tours (infants 0-2), REC Reads (ages 2-5), CAM Kids Day (ages 2+), Summer Camp (ages 6-12), and the 10x10: Teen Art Expo (ages 13-19), as well as Artist Workshops, Studio Classes, and Creative Reuse for children 6+ and adults. Goals and objectives of Family Learning programs are: to teach children by making, looking at, and talking about art; to make exhibitions and the permanent collection more accessible for families; and to introduce children to talented local artists and performers. Programs occur online and throughout the museum building and grounds, with the REC as a central “hub.” Through these programs, CAM is able to offer Cincinnati's children the powerful benefits of arts education and engagement.
Program Goals:
CAM Family Learning Program and REC goals are:
• to teach children by making, looking at, and talking about art
• to make exhibitions and the permanent collection more accessible for families
• to introduce children to talented local artists and performers
• to provide a fun and educational environment for our community's children
• to create lifelong learners, lovers of art, and artists
• to create opportunities for families to experience art together
• to promote creativity and problem solving through artmaking
• to encourage creative interactions between children and caregivers
• to create pride in teenagers by exhibiting their artwork in the museum
• to create an environment for children of all abilities to feel safe and engaged with the museum
Program Results:
After three years of adjustments as we navigated the needs of our community in response to COVID-19, this past program year was the first since 2018/2019 that we were able to run all Family Learning programs fully in person. We saw 40,443 participants across all programs.
Our largest family program, CAM Kids Day occurs monthly and includes artmaking and interactive activities and a live performance. This year, 11,126 attended this program.
Monthly Baby Tours remained extremely popular, reaching capacity every month, even as we have added additional tours to the schedule. This year, 369 people participated in Baby Tours.
Artmaking experiences including Artists Workshops, Creative Reuse, and Studio Classes, all of which allow families to interact with art together across generations, saw a combined 1,838 attendees. Artist workshops were so popular that we had to increase capacity due to wait lists.
REC attendance increased 30% this year compared to 2021/2022, with 27,935 visitors as of August 16. The year’s two themed installations were Art in Motion, accompanying special exhibition Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art, and an artist residency with Julia Lipovsky inspired by the museum’s Saul Steinberg Mural of Cincinnati.
In the spring, we held the sixth annual 10 x 10 Teen Art Expo. A record 50 teens applied to participate on the volunteer planning committee, although we were only able to select 15. The committee members brought great energy and excitement to the program. We also received 567 submissions to the expo, with the top 100 entries on display in person for five days in the museum’s Great Hall, and the remainder displayed via an accompanying digital slideshow. The committee hosted a celebratory event with 300+ attendees and, for the first time, a teen band. This program’s recent success has led our Learning & Interpretation team to consider and discuss how we might increase opportunities for teens.
Finally, Summer Camp continued to be in high demand, with all eight weeks selling out. 236 children, ages six to twelve, attended camp between June and August. Program staff were especially excited to see children who had previously participated in Baby Tours with the museum now attending Summer Camp with us.
Website:
http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org Amount: $50,000
Date: September 2022
