Fostering meaningful encounters with art is central to the mission of UCI Institute and Museum of California Art (IMCA)—and especially for young people. Because the pandemic has paused in-person experiences in the gallery, IMCA launched a virtual version of its School Visits program. Since October 2020, IMCA has hosted more than 1,350 Orange County students in grades 3 – 12 and their teachers from 34 schools. That’s nearly as many students as IMCA served via on-site visits last year and the school year isn’t over yet!
Associate Director of Education and Community Engagement Sofia Gutierrez leads a virtual school visit with third graders featuring artworks from IMCA’s collection.
During each online workshop, IMCA museum educators aided by UCI undergraduates lead class discussion. Together they introduce artworks from the collection and guide elementary and secondary school students in inquiry-based observation, analysis, and dialogue. Museum educators explain the basic elements that artists use—such as line, shape, form, color, and light—and then guide the students in an artmaking activity.
“I loved the presentation...thank you for showing us how to draw.” “Thank you for taking us through the history of paintings.” “It was interesting to learn that sketching is also done by using letters.” –Lincoln Elementary School Students, Santa Ana, CA
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To augment virtual and in-person school visits (as soon as the latter are viable again), IMCA recently published its first teacher resource guide featuring works from the collection coordinated with upcoming exhibitions. Within each module, teachers will find images and essays about selected artworks and suggested discussion questions and activities that explore the visual arts and related curriculum. This and future publications are free and available for download on IMCA’s website.
IMCA published its first teacher resource guide to enhance arts-focused curriculum for Orange County K-12 classrooms.
Studies have shown that students who interact with art hone their critical thinking skills. Arts exposure also serves to encourage tolerance and empathy in young people, as well as nurture curiosity and creativity.
You can help IMCA ensure that K – 12 students from Orange County have opportunities to engage with world-class art. Your gift to the IMCA Education and Community Engagement Fund will underwrite the cost of art supplies, compensate UCI student educators, produce and distribute free of charge future editions of the teacher resource guides, and cover bus transportation for Orange County students to visit the museum, as soon as it is safe to do so.
Please give today to the IMCA Education and Community Engagement Fund to ensure an art-filled future for the region’s young people.
For questions, please feel free to contact Jamie Bigman at jamieh6@uci.edu
Image credit: Alson Skinner Clark, The Weekend (detail), 1924, Oil on canvas, 26 x 32 in. The Irvine Museum Collection at the University of California, Irvine
| Rank | State | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CA | 14 |
| 2 | RI | 1 |
| 2 | TX | 1 |
