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Mission & Story All children a r e ar tists . We're on a mission to unite children and artists to create and share ambitious works of art with their communities and the world. Since 1988, Children’s Museum of the Arts has been changing the way people value our youngest artists and their aesthetic contributions to the world. ​ Our concept of a museum has been changing too. Born as an artist’s Soho studio project, Children’s Museum of the Arts grew into a neighborhood stalwart for local families while building a collection of works by children from over 50 countries dating back nearly a century. After a decade of steadily building bonds with schools and community groups citywide, with a particular focus on connecting with young artists typically disenfranchised from the story of art, Children’s Museum of the Arts has taken the opportunity of the pandemic crisis to transform once again. We're not your parents' children's museum. In 2022, pledging to make all of its programs 100% free of charge, the museum closed its fee-for-service facility at 103 Charlton Street to follow a new North Star: maximizing accessibility to excellent progressive arts education for all children. ​ Maximizing accessibility means prioritizing partnership – working with schools and community groups to meet young artists where they are, in neighborhoods across NYC and beyond. It means designing our programs for a hybrid world, so excellent arts education is available anytime, anywhere. It means integrating children into the wider culture, through public art, exhibitions, talks and media. ​ Maximizing accessibility means changing our idea of what it means to be a museum from a place to an ambition, and our ambition is a world where all children are artists. What is Progressive Arts Pedagogy? “Education is not preparation for life; it is life itself.” – JOHN DE WEY ​ Even before the recent school budget cuts, the recommended spend per child on arts education was only 44 cents per day, and middle school students were only expected to spend about 1% of their time in school receiving arts instruction. Less than 1/3 actually did. It is clear that decades of advocacy touting the ability of arts education to improve test scores, to support mental health, and to prepare the next generation for the growing creative workforce, have failed to move the needle. It’s time we stop rationalizing. At Children’s Museum of the Arts, we believe art is fundamental and needs no justification. So we’re building a new way of doing things: a Progressive Arts Pedagogy. Our roots are in the Progressive Education movement, which sought to integrate the arts and vocations into the classical academic curriculum. But while Progressive Education, as imagined by John Dewey, aimed to engender a more democratic society, Progressive Arts Pedagogy goes further, recognizing that the arts are the principal aim of that society, with democratization as an essential process toward that goal. Progressive Arts Pedagogy is premised on the belief that talent isn’t rare, it’s just grossly mis-recognized and unduly stifled by traditional school structures and pedagogical methods. We seek to overcome these obstacles by creating a full-circle creative pedagogical pipeline, inspired by laboratory schools, but decentralized across a network of art institutions, schools, public and community spaces, art studios and homes everywhere. Our program treats children, educators, artists, and audiences as mutual aesthetic learners, engaged together in the continuous experiment of creating a common culture. The Impact of Our Work . Our Impact “Children’s Museum of the Arts is a world apart from most of what is out there … The magic of being presented with materials and then being free to be creative has opened up a new world.” Isla's Mom Annual Report . Press PRESS LINK PDF Jenna Adrian-Diaz A Night Out at David Zwirner, Benefitting Arts Education 10/24/23 LINK PDF Julia Chorun 10 Must-See NYC Art Installations 8/1/23 LINK PDF Aaron Ginsburg The Best Ways to Celebrate Halloween 2023 in NYC 10/23/23 LINK PDF Grace Lafontant La obra de Miguel Braceli llegará al espacio público de Nueva York 7/25/23 LINK PDF Maxwell Rabb Children's Museum of the Arts Partners with David Zwirner to Host Fundraising Auction 10/17/23 LINK PDF ​ 'sampling' Mural Unveiling 7/13/23 More Press See More Here is how we learn: The Look Make Show The Look Make Show . The Look Make Show is an online learning platform providing direct access to Children's Museum of the Arts' ongoing research in arts education. The Look Make Show expands art educators' ability to provide resources tailored to the individual learning of young artists, as well as inspiration for classroom projects and curriculum. View Resources The Look Make Show is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, The Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, First Republic Bank, The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Google Community Grants Fund, Amazon, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harriet Ames Charitable Trust, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Hammitt and the Vinair Family Foundation. The Residency for Experimental Arts Education The Residency for Experimental Arts Education . Great artists make artists. The beating heart of our model is The Residency for Experimental Arts Education, wherein a select group of artists devote a full academic year with us developing utterly ambitious art programs in schools and community organizations that need it most. Our Resident Artists touch every piece of our program and engage with every aspect of our community, teaching and learning, connecting history and the future. They are the critical feedback loop that keeps progressive arts education – well – progressing. More Information The Residency for Experimental Arts Education is generously supported by The Ruth Foundation for the Arts, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, First Republic Bank, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Google Community Grants Fund, Amazon, LeRoy Neiman Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harriet Ames Charitable Trust, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Hammitt and the Vinair Family Foundation. Additional support is provided, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Emergency Fund Emergency Arts Education Fund . The Emergency Arts Education Fund was formed in response to continued DOE budget cuts (-$200M this year) and decimation of arts classes in our schools. Children’s Museum of the Arts believes the ongoing insecurity of arts education is a public health and creativity crisis deserving of immediate assistance. For over 15 years, we’ve connected local artists to low-income schools to lead high quality arts education through our Accessible Arts program. We provide all necessary art materials and develop a curriculum representative of the rich cultural diversity of the school’s neighborhood and community. For the 2023-24 school year, CMA's three Residents Artists are currently implementing ambitious arts curriculum at each of our partner sites throughout New York City: Hudson Guild in Chelsea, Sid Miller Academy in Crown Heights, and Children’s Workshop School in the East Village. Come spring, our residents will showcase their students' work through exhibitions and installations across the city. Throughout the year, we meet with principals, teachers, council members, and community leaders to help schools to navigate the difficult process of arts funding with the goal of creating a blueprint to sustain quality arts education for their students. Support the Fund Current Schools Brooklyn IS 068K Isaac Bildersee Manhattan Children's Workshop School Manhattan PS 33M Chelsea Prep Queens Renaissance Charter School Manhattan Hudson Guild Bronx PS 106X The Parkchester School Manhattan PS 347 American Sign Language School Queens PS 46Q Alley Pond Brooklyn P396K Sid Miller Academy Manhattan City-As-School Brooklyn PS 52K Sheepshead Bay Bronx PS 69X Journey Prep The Emergency Arts Education Fund is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. ​ Additional support is provided by Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, The Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, First Republic Bank, The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Google Community Grants Fund, Amazon, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harriet Ames Charitable Trust, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Hammitt and the Vinair Family Foundation. Permanent Collections . Permanent Collection Children’s Museum of the Arts maintains a permanent collection of over 2,000 paintings and drawings of children’s art from over 50 countries, dating back to the 1930s. Explore Select Collection The Kuniyoshi Collection Lucy Menga Portrait of Miss Dunn Age 12 Queensboro Community Art Center Queens, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Theresa Messett Untitled Park Slope YMCA Brooklyn, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Walter Gosk Untitled Age 14 Greenpoint Play Center Brooklyn, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Vincent Cuttillo Untitled Age 9 Park Slope YMCA Brooklyn, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Maria Ingiotti Untitled Greenwich House Workshop New York, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Barry Harwich Untitled Age 13 Jewish Center of Ocean Parkway Brooklyn, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Arnold Shickman Janet Welch Age 11 Queensboro Community Art Center Queens, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Paul Kanera Brooklyn Children's Home Age 11 USA Kuniyoshi Collection L. Sickler Untitled Age 14 Greenpoint Play Center Brooklyn, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Tony Bonada Untitled Age 12 Queensboro Community Art Center Queens, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Hilda Covit Untitled Age 9 USA Kuniyoshi Collection George Pettus Untitled Age 10 Queensboro Community Art Center Queens, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Dorothy Frumkin Untitled Age 10 Ninth Street Day Nursery New York, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Gerald Repp Street Scene Age 11 Queensboro Community Art Center Queens, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Alvin Rotker Untitled Age 10 USA Kuniyoshi Collection E. Lane Untitled Age 11 Queensboro Community Art Center Queens, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Frank Fulliran Portrait of an Irishman Age 10 Queensboro Community Art Center Queens, New York Kuniyoshi Collection Jean Pultz Untitled Age 9 USA Kuniyoshi Collection Yasuo Kuniyoshi was an American painter, printmaker, and photographer who worked as a teacher at the New School for Social Research and The Art Student’s League during the Great Depression. In the early 1990s, Kuniyoshi’s widow, Sara Mazo Kuniyoshi, donated 19 paintings created by children during the late 1930s in Works Progress Administration (WPA)-sponsored Community Art Centers in New York City to Children’s Museum of the Arts. While our research has not been able to confirm that Kuniyoshi himself taught the students whose artwork makes up this collection, like many artists during this time period, he collected children’s art as a source of inspiration for his own work. The collection was featured alongside the Young Artists Residency Program collection in CMA’s 2011 exhibition "Art Within Reach: From the WPA to the Present." Collections Our Art World It's Our Art World . Grown-ups just live in it. CMA organizes free public art events that enable children to create, curate and exhibit their own artwork on an equal footing with their grown-up counterparts. By using NYC as our studio, we’re able to offer unmatched programs across the five boroughs. From free after school artmaking at Pier 57, gallery and museum partnerships across the city, participation in international art fairs, block parties, and much more, we come together as a community to make a more inclusive artworld – because all children are artists. Stay Informed Coming Up Our Art World is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, The Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, First Republic Bank, The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Google Community Grants Fund, Amazon, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harriet Ames Charitable Trust, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Hammitt and the Vinair Family Foundation. Visit Us . Events May 9, 2024 Pier 57 Open Studio: Reimagined Cities Free Community Artmaking About Pier 57 More Events See More Artists . Alex Alpert Artist Instructor, Partnerships Miguel Braceli Artist in Residence 2022-23 Noormah Jamal Artist in Residence 2023-24 JT Baldassarre Artist Instructor, Partnerships Omari Chancellor Artist Instructor, Partnerships Miriam Jovanovic Artist Instructor, Partnerships Sydney Barton Artist Instructor, Partnerships Larkin Grimm Artist Instructor, Partnerships Clare Kambhu Artist in Residence 2022-23 More Artists See More Artists Staff . Staff Genevieve Martin Deputy Director Sarah Sterling Assistant Director of Operations Liam Russo Assistant Director of Institutional Giving Kerry Santullo Assistant Director of Communications Board of Directors Board of Directors . BOARD PRESIDENT EMERITUS PRESIDENT Allison Russo ​ VICE PRESIDENT Jessica Ogilvie ​ VICE PRESIDENT Cynthia C. Wainwright ​ TREASURER Laurie Harris Brennan PwC (ret.) Barbara Briones ​ Alexandra Sorokolit Frankel ​ Jillian Marcus ​ Katherine Salyi Sotheby's Realty William Floyd Google, Inc. Michael Dayton Hermann The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Elizabeth Fearon Pepperman ​ Ana Yunes–Leshen ​ Donate Today . donate 200,000 + New York City Department of Cultural Affairs 50,000 + Elizabeth Fearon Pepperman & Richard Pepperman Allison & Paul Russo William Talbott Hillman Foundation Ruth Foundation for the Arts Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation New York State Council on the Arts 25,000 + Cynthia Wainwright & Stephen Berger Google Community Grants Fund National Endowment for the Arts 10,000 + Barbara Briones Anonymous Molly Gochman Jessica & Tim Ogilvie Yvonne and Leslie Pollack Foundation Jillian Marcus Alexandra & Grant Frankel William Floyd & Jeremy Berman Con Edison Company Laurie Harris Brennan & William D. Brennan Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation 5,000 + Wilhelm Family Foundation The Heyday Foundation Jeff Kinkle Anna & Dean Backer Ana Yunes–Leshen & Lee Leshen Sherman Family Foundation Marnie Berk A G Foundation Michael Dayton Hermann Katherine Salyi Cowles Charitable Trust Adam Ames & Elissa Levy Join the artists, parents, educators, and organizations that support our cause. Donations directly benefit a restricted fund supporting emergency arts education. Make your tax-deductible donation today! $ Donate Thank you for your donation. . Stay in the Know Connect with Us Children's Museum of the Arts PO Box 1011 NY, NY 10276 (212) 274-0986 Subscribe Submit You're all set. Donate Now Since 1988

. Reading Lists Close Devin Kenny Shares a Peek at His Bookshelf Devin Kenny Shares a Peek at His Bookshelf 12/14/22 11 Children's Books to Read During Black History Month 11 Children's Books to Read During Black History Month 2/1/21 Imagine Peace with These 7 Children’s Books Imagine Peace with These 7 Children’s Books 3/23/22 Celebrate Women’s History Month with These 10 Children’s Books Celebrate Women’s History Month with These 10 Children’s Books 3/15/22 See More

. Field Notes Noormah Jamal at Children's Workshop School Artists in Schools Clay Magnets: Creating Form Using Armature 5/3/24 Talisa Velazquez at PS 347 Artists in Schools Shimmering Backdrops at PS 347 4/15/24 Featuring Artwork from China, Finland, and Spain Kids Art Blast Off! 3 Spaces Scenes from CMA's Collection of Children's Art 4/12/24 Noormah Jamal at Children's Workshop School Artists in Schools Zine Making: Adventures in Carbon Paper 4/2/24 Maria D. Rapicavoli at Hudson Guild Artists in Schools Cardboard Tube Telescopes 3/25/24 Connecting West Side Neighbors Artists in Schools Visiting Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts 3/22/24 Maria D. Rapicavoli at Hudson Guild Artists in Schools Glitter Portraits and Fruit Stands 3/18/24 Connecting West Side Neighbors Artists in Schools Viewing Pipilotti Rist at Hauser & Wirth 3/1/24 Featuring Artwork from South Africa and New York Kids Art 3 Lovely Lizards from CMA's Collection of Children's Art 5/1/24 Emma Waldman and JT Baldassarre at City-As-School Artists in Schools Creating a Gallery at City-As-School 4/15/24 Connecting West Side Neighbors Artists in Schools Visiting the Whitney Biennial 4/10/24 Featuring Artwork from Harlem, New Mexico, and Finland Kids Art 7 Architectural Structures from CMA’s Collection of Children’s Art 3/26/24 Maria D. Rapicavoli at Hudson Guild Artists in Schools Story Street Quilts 3/25/24 Noormah Jamal at Children's Workshop School Artists in Schools Zine Making: Frame-by-Frame Layouts 3/22/24 Noormah Jamal at Children's Workshop School Artists in Schools Brooch Project: 3D Painting 3/15/24 Noormah Jamal at Children's Workshop School Artists in Schools Figure Drawing and Line Quality 3/1/24 Noormah Jamal at Children's Workshop School Artists in Schools Patterns and Pop Art 4/19/24 Noormah Jamal at Children's Workshop School Artists in Schools Zine Making: The Final Creations! 4/12/24 Emma Waldman at PS 46Q Artists in Schools Animal Portraits at PS 46Q 4/9/24 Maria D. Rapicavoli at Hudson Guild Artists in Schools Bodies in Motion, Angel Hair, and Dollhouses 3/25/24 Connecting West Side Neighbors Artists in Schools Viewing Steffani Jemison at Greene Naftali 3/22/24 Maria D. Rapicavoli at Hudson Guild Artists in Schools Supporting Each Other Through Art 3/19/24 Noormah Jamal at Children's Workshop School Artists in Schools Brooch Project: High-Low Relief Sculptures 3/11/24 On location at Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Studio Visit In the Studio with Noormah Jamal 2/29/24 See More Donate Now

See More The Look Make Show News Interviews Reading Lists Fun Facts Archive See More Children's Museum of the Arts . News Close Remembering Barbara Hunt McLanahan (1964-2019) Remembering Barbara Hunt McLanahan (1964-2019) 6/28/19 See More

See More Children's Museum of the Arts . Fun Facts Close 5 Facts About No School 5 Facts About No School 4/7/22 8 Fun Facts About Valentine’s Day 8 Fun Facts About Valentine’s Day 2/14/22 6 Fun Facts About Hudson Square 6 Fun Facts About Hudson Square 2/3/22 See More

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 5/3/24 Artists in Schools Clay Magnets: Creating Form Using Armature Dispatches from CMA Resident Artist Noormah Jamal's fifth grade class at Children's Workshop School. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ NEXT IN ​ ​ ​ ​

5/3/24 Artists in Schools Clay Magnets: Creating Form Using Armature Dispatches from CMA Resident Artist Noormah Jamal's fifth grade class at Children's Workshop School. Click to expand media gallery. As the end of the school year nears, Noormah Jamal ’s fifth graders at Children's Workshop School are creating works of art that will last for years to come! This week, students began sculpting their own refrigerator magnets. During the first lesson, they constructed their magnet out of clay, creating such forms as a mouse drinking a soda, an ice cream sundae, and even a ladybug (or dare we say spotted lanternfly?) During the next lesson, they’ll paint their forms and adhere the magnet to the back. Noormah stressed the importance of using wire to secure their form, especially since their sculptures will not be fired or dipped in bisque. It’s no surprise that students quickly became armature masters. One student even made a standing figure using only wire and clay — no base! Noormah’s work at Children’s Workshop School is supported by the Emergency Arts Education Fund , which provides free arts education to NYC school communities whose art programs have been decimated by recent budget cuts. Children’s Museum of the Arts’ three Residents Artists are currently implementing ambitious arts curriculum at each of our partner sites throughout New York City: Hudson Guild in Chelsea, Sid Miller Academy in Crown Heights, and Children’s Workshop School in the East Village. Come spring, our residents will showcase their students' work through exhibitions and installations across the city. Learn how you can support the work of our residents here . NEXT Featuring Artwork from South Africa and New York 3 Lovely Lizards from CMA's Collection of Children's Art Donate Now

Field Notes News Interviews Reading Lists Fun Facts All Notes Museum Look Make Show . Interviews Justin Teodoro on “Little Artists" at Ace Hotel Brooklyn Justin Teodoro on “Little Artists" at Ace Hotel Brooklyn 9/1/22 Meet Artist in Residence Tati Nguyen Meet Artist in Residence Tati Nguyen 11/23/21 Meet Artist in Residence Frank Traynor Meet Artist in Residence Frank Traynor 11/24/21 Meet Artist in Residence Ciana Malchione Meet Artist in Residence Ciana Malchione 11/23/21 See More

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 10/13/23 Interviews "I realized then that art was a messy, imperfect, and deeply human practice that I wanted to pursue." Artist Michael Dayton Hermann on viewing Mike Kelley's work for the first time in the 90s. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ NEXT IN ​ ​ ​ ​