Kids As Curators 2012
Hagen Family Gallery
Jan. 28, 2012 – March 18, 2012

A public reception will be held
during Gallery Night, Friday,
March 16, 2012 from 7 – 10 pm




For the past eight years, Kids As Curators has allowed middle school students and their teachers to take on the challenge of curating, designing, and creating their own exhibits. The only stipulation is that the exhibit must draw from the students’ collections. Previous Kids as Curators have addressed topics such as how 13-year kids cope with hard times, recreating local woodland environment, and a collection of 60 filled boxes, each a snapshot of a different student’s ephemera for one day, drawing direct inspiration from Andy Warhol’s time capsules. This year’s partners are the Robert Benjamin Wiley Charter School of Excellence, Mill Village Elementary Gifted Program, and Saint Luke School.

Seeing their exhibits staged at the Erie Art Museum is an important part of the process for participants. One student wrote, “It left my heart beat pounding…I thought it was really neat to see how regular kids like myself would be able to make something so professional.” Students relish being more than just a visitor at the museum, and are proud to see how their exhibits command the attention of visitors.

Kids as Curators is funded by a major grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency. The continuation of this highly competitive grant is based on the Erie Art Museum’s ability to come up with creative ways to motivate students and enrich teachers. As one grant panelist wrote of the Kids as Curators program, “One of the reasons that I review grants for IMLS every year is to be inspired by what other museums are doing. This project inspired me. Big time. You should be commended for examining your audience, identifying a need among what is typically an under-served school audience, and coming up with a very creative and innovative solution that works well for the museum and the children.”

Sponsored by: