Teen Outreach Programs

If MCA Denver teen programs had a secret menu our outreach programs would be at the top of the list. These hidden gems foster meaningful introductions to contemporary art and artists. In-school visits are designed to generate a point of connection with the museum, inspiring teens to grow their relationship with us and the greater artistic community here in Denver and beyond. Outreach programs bring exhibiting artists, local professionals, and more into a school setting. Each program takes on its own identity and might look like a panel of drag queens discussing gender and identity for the whole school, an interview lead by teens in front of their peers, an in-class artist demo, an application information session or perhaps a multi-week residency. 

Wondering how much this might cost? Most programs are presented at no cost to the student or school. Like admission and all teen things, we believe that access shouldn’t be dictated by the amount of money folks have but rather by their interest and enthusiasm. 

Why do we do this? We don’t want to be that friend that always makes you come to them to hang out. Also, this is a great way to connect with a lot of students, not just the “art kids”. It’s also a way to demonstrate the spectrum of practices beyond our current exhibitions. 

How do I partner with MCA Denver? There’s not an exact formula but here are some things we take into consideration when identifying partner schools. Do you have a strong artistic curriculum match? Schools in this category have strong arts programs that are well aligned with MCA Denver’s exhibitions, programs, and goals. Another consideration is for schools that might need support in the contemporary art realm. These schools usually have one or few art educators in the entire school or have smaller artistic offerings for students. Finally, is your school further out from MCA Denver or do your students have few places in their immediate communities to connect with artistic programming? Whether it's one or more of these we’d like to connect and see what we can grow.

Here are some examples...

 
Artist Workshops
Interested in bringing an artist to your school to do some hands-on teaching? Connect with us about opportunities for Artist Workshops at your school.
School auditorium, where students are seating in seats looking at a stage where two teen students are interviewing the artist Cleon Peterson
Artist Lectures
Want to expose your students to MCA Denver artists? Host an artist talk at your school and inspire your students to participate in contemporary dialogues around creativity, work ethic, problem-solving, and more.
Image of artist Shannon Finnegan sitting at the front of a classroom, wearing red pants next to a colorful post it wall. And students sit at their desk watching the presentation
Artist-in-residency
What if you had an artist, come to your classroom for a couple of weeks and work with your students on a project? This Outreach programs bring exhibiting artists, local professionals, and more into a school setting, with each program taking on its own identity.
Hip hop performer, performing on a dark stage, lite by blue lights, while students dance and MCs listen with headphones in the background
Choose Your Own Outreach Adventure
Not quite sure what you want to do at your school, but you think this is a cool idea and you're interested in seeing what's possible? Awesome. Reach out and we'll help you come up with a customized experience that will work within your curriculum.
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