Art Talks

Through Art Talks, full-time Outreach Educators from SMA visit with students and teachers to provide workshops and training. This program is provided at no cost to schools. Those interested in scheduling should contact us using the link below (please include as much school information as possible). The following programs are available for elementary, middle, and high school students:

Faculty Professional Development - This in-service consists of discussion-based group activities, which revolve around posters and postcards from SMA’s collection. A packet of lesson plans, several posters, and sixteen classroom sets of postcards will be donated at no charge to the school. This in-service training takes approximately forty-five minutes. Our Outreach Educators are also available to provide in-service training for several schools at the same time, as in district-level professional development days.

Gallery Experience - Posters and original artworks from the Springville Museum of Art will be displayed in a self-contained space (e.g. media center or kiva) where students will engage in an aesthetic discussion facilitated by an SMA Outreach Educator. The Gallery Experience takes approximately thirty minutes for each class of twenty to thirty students.

People of Utah - This is an art-making experience that focuses on people and portraits. Students will practice new portraiture skills by observing their own classmates. This workshop is held in a classroom and lasts approximately thirty minutes for each class of twenty to thirty students. Schools will provide paper and pencils, an overhead projector and, if possible, a microphone.

Viewer Interpretation - Students will explore strategies for a better understanding of how artists choose to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas through their artwork. Activities include: writing, group work, discussion, and drawing. This presentation takes approximately forty-five minutes.

Critical Eye - This program focuses on major themes in the contemporary art world by viewing and discussing artworks from contemporary Utah artists, as well as contemporary artists from around the world.   Students will engage in critical thinking discussions, gain exposure to current art practice, and implement contemporary themes into their own artwork. This workshop takes approximately sixty minutes.