Artists in the Classroom: How Teaching by Artists Benefits students, the School, the Museum and the Artists Themselves

Abstract

Since the U.S. government established the Poets-in-the-School program in 1966 as the initial stage in artist residency programs, considerable research have been conducted. Most of it has focused on the educational effects of the program. Therefore, this paper addresses the impacts of visual artists teaching from various perspectives; artists’, schools’, students’, and a museum’s by studying the Fine Arts Day Program in Indiana. The Fine Arts Day Program was developed by the Fort Wayne Museum of Art(FWMoA) in Indiana to connect local artists and community schools through encouraging artists to teach in elementary schools. The program supported the artists financially in both the short and long term while stimulating their artistic growth. Teachers and administrator re-evaluated the significance of art in the classroom and developed ideas on when and how to integrate art with other subjects. The program provided students with abundant opportunities for creative activities and experiential learning. Through the program, the FWMoA had the opportunity to publicize itself within the community.