Source: Kathrine Schlageck, 785-532-7718, klwalk@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Emily Vietti, 785-532-2535, evietti@k-state.edu

Friday, Jan. 21, 2011

SUMMER AT THE BEACH: NEW PROGRAM HELPS KIDS EXPLORE ART CAREERS

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art has drawn up a summer of fun for budding young artists and curators.

The museum is now taking names of youths who want to participate in Young Curators and Young Artists. It is a new two-part summer program offered by the museum with a $1,000 Youth Impacting the Community grant from the Manhattan Community Foundation.  The program provides real-life museum and art career experiences for children and teens.

"We're very excited about this new program," said Kathrine Schlageck, the museum's senior educator. "It's a chance for area youths to explore museum and art careers, and for us to demystify the museum exhibition process."

The Young Curators program is for youth in grades 5 through 8. They will work as a team one afternoon a week during June to create an exhibition using works on display in the museum's permanent collection galleries. After meeting with all members of the museum staff to learn about museum careers, the young curators will choose a theme and art, write opening text and labels for the exhibition, create a self-guided tour, and develop educational art activities for an open house event. Art chosen from the permanent collection for the exhibition will have special labels, and the exhibition will be on display through the end of July.

The Young Artists program will take place in July and consists of tours, activities and art workshops for children ages 6-12. Participants will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the Young Curators exhibition and learn about the featured works of art. Participants will then create their own art based on their favorite pieces in the Young Curators exhibition and write an artist's statement about their work. The kids will be able to choose from professional art materials such as acrylic, Cray-Pas, pastel and prisma colors, and the works will be matted. The museum will hire a high school student to serve as assistant art instructor.

Works and statements by the young artists will be on display July 29-31 in the museum's UMB Theater. A free open house with refreshments and special art activities for families will be 10 a.m. to noon July 30. The young curators will provide tours of their exhibition.

For more information on the program, contact Schlageck at 785-532-7718 or klwalk@k-state.edu.