Developed in collaboration with pre-k teachers across Denver, our pre-k experience is a developmentally appropriate, hands-on introduction to art and museum spaces. Pre-K children will explore color and feelings while investigating art and engaging in play to learn. Teachers will discover art-based strategies that encourage curiosity, ignite creativity, and promote empathy.
What will we do?
Pre-Visit Experiences
Teacher Pre-Meeting:
Join our lead educators for a virtual or in-person meeting to discuss the logistics of your visit, what to expect, and how we can best support your students.
Supplies and Resources:
Receive books about colors and feelings, materials and instructions for a class provocation, and supplies to explore primary colors through art-making.
Participatory pre-visit video:
Follow along with an interactive video to introduce the Museum, Clyfford Still, and our educator team. Learn what to expect during your visit and build excitement and anticipation.
Field Trip Experience (1 hour and 15 minutes)
Welcome and Community Building
Meet Museum Educators and be welcomed into the Museum. Build community with educators and each other.
Art about our world workshop
Explore art about the world around us and engage with provocations inspired by Still’s art, which focuses on people, places, or things.
Colors and feelings workshop
Dive into abstract art and make connections between colors and emotions. Play with color and shape to express your feelings.
Reflective Debrief:
Share about your favorite part of the experience.
Art-making Experience
Paint:
Use paint and a variety of painting tools (including a palette knife like Clyfford Still used) to express yourself and your ideas.
Clay:
Explore the medium of clay using hands and a variety of tools—experiment with making impressions, playing with texture, and molding clay to create your own 3-dimensional artwork.
Sound:
Play with a variety of instruments and sound-making tools. Make connections between sound and Clyfford Still’s paintings, creating soundscapes to interpret his art and express your ideas.
Post-Visit Reflection
Student conversation
Discuss your experiences with students to assess their feelings of belonging in the Museum, comfort with Museum educators, and opinions about art and art-making.
Teacher Survey
Reflect on your experience and provide feedback to help us continue to improve the program.
