NW MI Arts & Culture Network
MG: Creative Artists at the Missaukee Library
Students and teachers from 12 classrooms, grades 2-4, visited the Missaukee District Library for arts education through its Creative Artists at the Library program between January and May 2022. Local artist, Denise Rubin, designed each experience with the classroom teacher involved and included a curriculum-based art project as well as other other artistic mediums that the teacher and artist agree upon in advance. All takes place at the library which is located within walking distance of the elementary school.
From the library director: “…This has been a wonderful opportunity for the library to offer all-arts workshops for our local 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. We meet for 1 1/2 hours at the library. The minigrant provides a professional artist and art materials to complete the projects. Many art forms and media were introduced to students. Our artist was fantastic. She had creative vision, flexible work habits, and a supportive attitude toward the students. Her wonderful talent, personality and experience proved to make this program a success. The students that visited the library for our workshops remember them as a positive experience….”
The director noted that students and teachers welcomed and engaged with her subsequent presentation about the Summer reading program – in part due to the positive library experience they had with the art workshops.
(NOTE: This project was conducted in 2022 but the Missaukee District Library began Creative Artists for 4th graders at the Library in 2018 with great success, followed by similar projects with more grades in FY19 and FY20 prior to the pandemic)
