As a Studio staff of artists and educators at the Detroit Institute of Arts, we are responsible for a variety of programs, from Drop-In workshops for museum visitors, art courses for children and adults, to projects for people with special needs. The Studio staff works collaboratively to develop and refine projects. Our goals are to structure authentic, first-hand experiences that are engaging, student-centered, and developmentally appropriate.

We were asked by Dearborn Public Schools to participate in their pilot project to bring every sixth grader to the museum to see the Rivera murals. Students used the Collaborative exercise to prepare for work on a group project when they returned to the classroom. Inclusion of a studio project also allowed the students to spend two hours at the museum. We could accomodate two classrooms by alternating one hour in the studio and one hour in the galleries. It was helpful for teachers to participate in the same exercise during their orientation to the project, as well. Over the course of the school year, 1,200 students made Collaborative Clay Machines, allowing us to test and refine this project!

For more information contact:

Tracy Sellers
Head of Studio Programming
Detroit Institute of Arts
Phone: (313) 833-7900
E-mail: tsellers@dia.org