Hawai'i: Art Bento Program

Through its Art Bento program, the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (HSFCA) transforms the Hawai’i State Art Museum (HiSAM) into a participatory arts education laboratory for students and teachers. The four-part program, which serves Oahu public school students in grades 2-6 and which is based on state arts standards as well as national English Language Arts Common Core Standards, links classroom learning in literacy, visual arts and performing arts to inquiry-based engagement with the artwork at HiSAM. The Art Bento theme, “Responding to Art,” begins with a teaching artist from HSFCA’s Artistic Teaching Partners (ATP) roster leading a professional development workshop for teachers. The same teaching artist subsequently works with students through a classroom residency. This is followed by a visit to HiSAM and a second session with the teaching artist. Art Bento culminates back in the classroom, where students reflect on their experiences of HiSAM, how they relate to arts concepts, and the artwork they made during the teaching artist’s residency. Participation in Art Bento, including transportation to HiSAM, is free. To learn more, contact HiSAM Educator Susan Hogan.