Cascadia Art for Schools

Cascadia Art for Schools is a free Washington state standards-based art program for K-8 students exploring the art of the Northwest. Cascadia Art for Schools is an interactive and inquiry-based tour, and students engage with art through facilitated dialogue, storytelling, and hands-on art creation. This program is learner-centered and explores artists that have been historically underrepresented.

Cascadia Art for Schools has Three Parts

1. Pre-Recorded Video Lesson

An introduction to an art element, semi-facilitated tour of the museum, and an art lesson

  • Teachers will receive a link to the video which includes the tour & art lesson to play for their class along with art materials for the art project.
  • Teachers can play the video for their class and pause the video for discussion.

 

2. Museum Field Trip

A museum tour & art lesson

  • Students come to the museum virtually, in-person, or we can come to you! We also pay for transportation to and from the Museum!
  • Students will be led by Museum Educators, explore their art element in more depth, and participate in a hands-on art project.

 

3. Art Lesson

A post-field trip art lesson

  • A Museum Educator comes to your classroom in-person or virtually to lead an additional art lesson and further explore an art element. We provide the art materials.

 

COVID-19 Update

We understand this is an ever-changing time and each school has different restrictions. Therefore, we are offering this free program:

 

  • Completely Virtually (Museum Field Trip & Art Lesson take place on zoom),
  • In Your Classroom (a vaccinated Museum educator will bring a Mobile Museum to your classroom for the Museum Field Trip and will come back to your classroom for the Art Lesson),
  • In the Museum & In Your Classroom (the Museum Field Trip will take place at Cascadia, and a Museum Educator will come to your classroom for an Art Lesson).
Cascadia Art for Schools Program Focus Options

Building Blocks of Art
Art concepts through Northwest art (K-8)
Building Blocks of Art explores art concepts utilized by Northwest artists as tools of expression. Each grade focuses on a different art concept used by Northwest artists. Students will learn about an art concept, explore Northwest art using their art concept, and then create their own art. For a full list of art concepts for each grade level, see below the sign-up button.

Sharing Our Story

Explore art and history with Edmonds Historical Museum and Cascadia Art Museum. This program is designed for fourth graders to explore connections between artistic expression, personal stories, and historical events. Through engaging activities, students will examine artwork and artifacts from different perspectives and share their own stories through artmaking.  

The experience involves a tour at each museum and explores the themes of migration, the impact of historical events on people’s lives, and how these experiences are portrayed in art. 

  • At Edmonds Historical Museum, students will analyze primary sources, discuss pre-settler history, consider reasons for migration, and reflect on their own experiences of living history. 
  • During the visit at Cascadia Art Museum, students will learn about artist Kenjiro Nomura’s life and the historical contexts that influenced his art. 

Sharing Our Story is an interactive and inquiry-based tour that aligns with Washington State Learning Standards.  

Total time for the experience is 2.5 hours.  Each tour is 60 minutes long with a 30-minute break in between. Capacity is 40 students.  

What’s Covered 

Cascadia Art Museum  

During the visit at Cascadia Art Museum, students will learn about artist Kenjiro Nomura’s life and the historical contexts that influenced his art. Through discussion, close-looking, and reflection students will analyze Nomura’s artwork, gaining a deeper understanding of his life and the artistic choices made in each artwork. 

Edmonds Historical Museum  

At Edmonds Historical Museum, students will learn about early migrants to the Edmonds area and explore the changes they made to the region. Through the analyzing of primary sources, including art, students will leave with a deeper understanding of how migration and immigration have influenced the history of Edmonds and Washington State.  

Sign-Up for Cascadia Art for Schools

Please fill out the form below to request any or all parts of the Cascadia Art for Schools program. Cascadia Art for Schools is offered October-June, Monday-Friday from 9 am – 4 pm. Please fill out and submit the form below and indicate your fist, second, and third choices for dates and times. A confirmation email will be sent to you with the exact date scheduled.

We ask that educators schedule tours at least three weeks in advance.

Questions?

For Questions, please call or email the museum at (425) 336-4809 or education@cascadiaartmuseum.org

CASCADIA ART FOR SCHOOLS REQUEST FORM

Cascadia Art for Schools is free for all students and educators thanks to the generous support of ArtsWA.

Building Blocks of Art | Art Concepts per Grade Level

Each grade level focuses on a different art concept for this program. We have the art concepts broken down by grade level as follows:

K: Shape

1: Color

2: Line & Pattern

3: Form

4: Texture

5: Value & Emphasis

6: Space & Contrast

7: Emphasis

8: Contrast

Classrooms are welcome to participate in this program more than one time per year. For your second time, we will be exploring many different art concepts new art mediums to allow for a broadening of knowledge for students.

Funding provided by Washington State Arts Commission’s First Step Grant, the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation, and the Harrington-Schiff Foundation. Thank you for your support.