Kidspace is part of the life of every elementary schoolchild and teacher in North Adams, Clarksburg, Florida, and Savoy, Massachusetts. Through its partnership with local public schools, Kidspace introduces children to contemporary art and integrates the study of art with the general curriculum. During class visits to the space, students work with Kidspace staff to interpret the art on view and respond to the exhibition themes through their own artistic production.
Students also work with their teachers in the classroom on projects outlined in a curriculum guide that accompanies each exhibition. Additional partnerships are formed with local organizations that help support learning in the schools and connect to themes being explored in Kidspace programs, including Williams College, Inkberry, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the Center for Ecological Technology, and Greylock Arts.
With funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Schools grant, Kidspace organizes an extensive artist residency program with the professional artists who are featured in Kidspace exhibitions. These artists visit the six public schools to work with students on art projects using materials and artistic processes similar to their own. Additional visits with the artists often take place at Kidspace, where students can have a second opportunity to explore the Kidspace exhibition—this time with the artists who created the work on display. And when possible, Kidspace brings in local artists and writers to also conduct residency programs relating to themes in Kidspace exhibits.
Students also visit one or more of the three collaborating museums (WCMA, the Clark, or MASS MoCA) as part of the Kidspace Three-Museum Semester. These visits enable teachers and students to continue to hone their art-viewing and interpreting skills while examining the diverse collections and exhibitions in the different museums.
Students from other school districts—including Williamstown, Pittsfield, and Adams—have also participated in Kidspace. Though not part of the larger Kidspace program, individual classes can sign up for a tour of Kidspace and work on art projects in the gallery.