FOCUS IN

Jen Curtis

Clay balls are ready to be shaped by little fingers. Paint awaits mixing at child-size easels. Scraps of paper are spread out with scissors and glue, an invitation for small hands to cut and collage. Puzzles, games, and puppets are placed in the classroom to encourage interaction with others and promote emotional well-being. Teachers await the arrival of children enrolled in the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) Preschool in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Making Connections Around the Arts Center
In sessions throughout the year, children learn American Sign Language and Spanish. They also venture to the JMKAC Theatre for dance, creative movement, music, or yoga.
Outdoors, they make science discoveries, build a mud kitchen, or climb a tree. They learn about other places and people and their customs and traditions, expanding their perspectives and interests in places and people that may be unfamiliar.

Teachers and museum educators encourage curiosity and questions as the children walk through the arts center’s exhibitions. As they make observations and discuss what they see, they begin to draw connections between art and their own lives.

As they make observations and discuss what they see, the children begin to draw connections between art and their own lives.

In the centerʼs studio classroom, the children learn about techniques and materials the artists used via specially designed, hands-on activities and projects. They also delve into lessons in literacy and math concepts.

The curriculum is rounded out with adventure-based and urban field trips focused on the arts, nature, safety, and community. These experiences and others foster independence and self-confidence throughout the year. Collectively, these activities build skills through play and art.

Making the Case for a Museum-Based Preschool
JMKAC staff is often asked, “Why is there a preschool in the arts center?” The reason: To build skills in communication, self-esteem, imagination, and creativity in children. The preschool has been in operation since 1967 and was the first program to be offered at the arts center. From the beginning, the goal has not necessarily been to transform the children into artists; rather, it is to use the arts as a lens through which they can develop critical thinking skills and gain insights about themselves, one another, our community, and the world.

Teachers with training in early childhood education and a strong background in the arts work with JMKAC museum educators to implement the arts center’s unique curriculum. Together, the early childhood education staff helps children develop into a new generation of creative thinkers.

For more information about the program, visit jmkac.org/engage/programs/preschool.

Jen Curtis is the marketing manager at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. jcurtis@jmkac.org