Help us renovate the ArtLab! For more than a decade, CMCA’s ArtLab has been a place where creativity comes alive. It’s where families make art together, adults reconnect with their creative spark, and visitors of all ages explore, experiment, and imagine—often for the very first time.

ArtLab is a dedicated space where people discover their own creativity, both in closely led artmaking classes and through free-form art exploration. The 10-year old ArtLab now needs renovation because of its success: it’s stretched to capacity with dozens of classes held each month and a growing education staff that needs more places to work. We have a wonderful, one-time opportunity to upgrade.

CMCA’s education programs invite people to turn ideas into tangible works of art. By designing free, immersive arts education tied in with every exhibition, we engage visitors to address issues of our time and connect with others in a shared community space. Contemporary art has a unique ability to challenge and inspire by presenting new ideas across a variety of media, from painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography to video, performance art, and site-specific installation. ArtLab programs engage all ages, ranging from our signature Look Inside tours for schools, to Open Studios, our drop-in program for families, to our new Creative Aging program offered in partnership with local retirement communities. All our education programs include a segment of hands-on creating in the ArtLab.

Our new three-year strategic plan has four goals: bring more people to the museum; provide deeper experiences once they are here; forge partnerships with other organizations to expand our reach and impact; and ensure our financial sustainability for a long future. Arts education programs support all these goals by attracting more participants and donors and engaging them with rich, lasting experiences.