K–12 Programs
Plan a field trip
Tours of the Smart Museum are available to all schools. Our staff works in close consultation with teachers to plan these docent-led or self-guided tours, tailoring each visit to ensure that they complement broader classroom lessons.
Supporting teachers
Through professional development opportunities and exhibition guides, the Smart Museum endeavors to equip teachers with the tools they need to make art central to learning.
Professional development opportunities
The Smart regularly hosts workshops and other programs for art and other teachers interested in integrating aspects of the Museum into their curriculum. Topics generally include teaching with objects, special exhibition themes, and arts integration. To register for a teacher workshop, e-mail Lisa Davis, Manager of Tour and Teacher Initiatives, or call 773.834.1066.
Friday, April 13, noon–3 pm
Lessons Learned Around the Table
CPDUs available
Teachers—join us for a potluck-style luncheon inspired by the Smart's exhibition Feast. Bring a dish, snack, family recipe on a card, inspiring quote, or question and take part in a discussion about introducing themes of hospitality and interaction to your classroom. Following a tour of the exhibition, artist Laura Letinsky will talk about her work.
Open to teachers at all grade levels and disciplines, as content can be adapted. Space is limited. Please register in advance.
Exhibition guides
Produced in conjunction with most major exhibitions at the Smart, the teacher guides include readings, questions for discussion, project ideas, bibliographies, and reproductions of artworks for classroom use.
Vision and Communism
September 29, 2011 – January 22, 2012
Exhibition teacher guide (PDF) | Slides (PDF)
Engaging classrooms
The Smart Museum’s sequential, multi-visit programs—Art in Focus for third graders and smART Explorers for fifth graders—are the cornerstones of our educational initiatives.
These funded programs integrate all facets of the visual arts into the school curriculum by fostering critical thinking, writing, and creative problem solving skills through Museum visits, online activities, hands-on projects, and classroom discussions.
The Smart currently works in partnership with thirty-five Chicago Public Schools classrooms in the South Side neighborhoods surrounding the Smart.
For more information about our school programs, e-mail Lisa Davis, Manager of Tour and Teacher Initiatives, or call 773.834.1066.
Feast | Opens February 16
Discover the radical history of the shared meal as an artistic medium.
Family Days
On the first Saturday of every month, drop by the Smart and join in the free creative family activities!
