Art and education unite at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, providing students and community members opportunities to grow through exposure to art.
“I think the museum makes a significant contribution to the intellectual life of the university,” said Linda Duke, director of the Beach Museum of Art. “It does this in a way that differs from the academic departments — art museums are about informal and life-long learning.”
The museum offers classes, workshops, public programs, tours and educational resources. These programs include ARTSmart — monthly classes offered to preschoolers and homeschooled children, including an after-school program for children six years of age and up — family and teacher workshops, programs for Boy and Girl Scouts and the Summer Young Artist program, co-taught by K-State and Manhattan High School students.
“The museum has an incredibly strong ability to benefit education, specifically in kindergarten through sixth grade elementary education,” said Lucas Shivers, director of elementary education for Manhattan-Ogden USD 383. “They’ve done really amazing things to support us on visual thinking strategies and the ability to work art into our curriculum in key ways. They are able to find amazing connections to students from minority backgrounds or cultures, and showcase the talents and skills of so many.”
The museum education staff has worked to reach members in the community such as school groups, university classes, city employees, teachers and librarians, as well as providing educational involvement for children with special needs and senior citizens with memory loss or Parkinson’s.
“Our programming is predicated on the conviction that art matters; it is about our lives as human beings, and how exploring art can help us grow and understand the world in which we live,” Duke said. “Philanthropic support enables us to provide this programming to the community.”
