Art Sparks Hundreds of One-of-a-Kind Adventure Stories Written by Third Grade Students at UMMA

Program with 826michigan and Ypsilanti Community Schools celebrating its sixth year

In partnership with educational nonprofit 826michigan and Ypsilanti Community Schools, 250 3rd grade students visited UMMA this academic year — not just for a field trip, but for a literary art adventure.

On this adventure students were asked to imagine jumping into various artworks and describe what the experience might sound, taste, or feel like; they then worked with Gallery Educators and 826michigan instructors to create collaborative stories based on those descriptions. Two of the artworks students jumped into this year are: When the Gods Speak, Heaven Listens by Frederick Ebenezer Okai and Dark Presence III< by Louise Nevelson.

An Erickson Elementary 3rd Grade Student had this to say about their visit: “You are so fun. I don’t ever want to leave here.”

This partnership, now in its sixth year, has served around 1,500 students from Ypsilanti Community Schools. Each year the collaborative stories are published into a book students can share with friends and family. You can read some of the previous books from this program on the 826michigan website.

UMMA’s Curator for Museum Teaching and Learning, Grace VanderVliet, has spearheaded this collaboration over the years and loves to see students personally connect with the art. Reflecting on the program, VanderVliet said “students’ brains and emotions are in high gear. They’re observing, gathering visual cues, learning about culture and history, listening to each other, imagining possibilities, and collectively figuring out what art can mean.”

“My favorite part is when they connect art to their own experiences. We leave with new understandings of each other and a feeling that art is a relevant way to learn about our world.”