Education
The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art offers a wide variety of programs for adults, children, and families including:
Art Bites: On the first Wednesday of every month our Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Julia Jessen or our Executive Director Sean Ulmer speaks about an aspect of one of the current exhibitions. This 30-45 minute presentation is free and includes free admission to all of the galleries.
Art Lovers Book Club: (in person) Our long-running book club selects books based on current exhibitions. Anyone can join at any time. It is held on the third Thursday of every month and is free. You can find a complete listing of upcoming books on the events tab.
Guided Meditation: Led by Noelle Holmes from the Healing Arts Center, guided meditation has a particular theme each month and is held at the Grant Wood Studio all year round. The class takes place on the third Thursday of every month at 6:00 PM. The fee is $10 payable to Noelle Holmes and the suggested ages are 13 and up.
One Night Stand with the CRMA via Zoom: ONE NIGHT STAND WITH THE CRMA One work of art. By one artist. For one night. One Night Stand with the CRMA is a free series of art talks on Zoom led by CRMA staff, local artists, or art scholars. By focusing each 20-minute program on one artwork, the audience engages in a conversation about the artist and how the selected work of art relates to their larger body of work.
Art Chats via Zoom: On the fourth Wednesday of every month our Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Julia Jessen or our Executive Director Sean Ulmer chat with a guest artist about their artwork in one of our exhibitions. This program is at noon and designed around the lunch hour and is approximately 20-30 minutes long.
Family Fun Day: Three times a year the Museum holds a Family Fun Day with activities for all ages to enjoy. You also have the opportunity to view all of the exhibitions for free.
Pajama Storytime: PJ Storytimes are for ages pre-school through 7 years. We read a story in the galleries and then do a fun art activity. Free for children and their adult companions. Bring a stuffed friend to cuddle with and wear your PJs!
Doodlebugs: Doodlebugs classes are held monthly at the Hiawatha Public Library, Marion Public Library, and the North Liberty Community Library. Each Doodlebugs class has a theme that relates to our exhibitions. We read a story and then do fun and sometimes messy art activity. Free. If you would like to arrange your own art-making class, please contact Erin Thomas at ethomas@crma.org.
Summer Camp: Each summer we have a week long summer camp based with a theme based on our exhibitions. Summer camp is for those students who have completed first grade through fifth grade. This year's summer camp is all about the rainbow in conjunction with our ROY G. BIV exhbition. It is going to be a wonderful dive into all of the colors. To find out more info, please contact Educaiton Director Erin Thomas at ethomas@crma.org or 319-366-7503. Camp dates are June 24-June 28.
Color Magic: Pre-Camp: Summer art camp for kids ages 3-6 and their adult companions. We will make two different colorful masterpieces AND visit the exhibition galleries every day, and each day is different! If your budding artist enjoys messy art-making and open-ended exploration with a variety of materials, join us!Each session is $25/child and will be held at the CRMA from 10:00 AM-12: 00 PM. Registration deadline: June 7, or when all spots are filled. To register, contact Education Director Erin Thomas at ethomas@crma.org or 319-366-7503.
Monday, 7/22: Taste the Rainbow—Make masterpieces that look good enough to eat!
Tuesday, 7/23: Color Laboratory—Let your child’s inner mad scientist out to discover new colors!
Wednesday, 7/24: Opposite Day—Complementary colors, mini & massive artworks, bumpy or smooth textures… contrasting creations await!
Thursday, 7/25: Rainbow Weather—Raindrops, clouds, even the sky itself can be filled with colors—just look up!
The Museum's tour schedule is also robust. Each year, the CRMA offers approximately five tours or programs each week. For a full listing of our extensive educational offerings, please click here or visit the Events tab.
Tours: A wide variety of tours from school tours to group tours for various organizations and clubs are available throughout the year. If you are interested in arranging a tour, please contact Erin Thomas, Director of Education, at 319-366-7503 x203 or ethomas@crma.org.
For a full listing of our extensive educational offerings, please click here or visit the Events tab.
