Families and Teens
Engaging Teens and Families
Keep your teens and families engaged year-round through the Fort Wayne Museum of Art! During crucial developmental stages of your family’s life, art plays a significant role in their social, emotional and mental development. We offer several programs for family members of all ages.
John S. and James L. Knight Learning Center
In the earliest stages of life, visual literacy directly relates to a child’s need for self-expression. As kids learn to talk, they’re also developing the impulse to express themselves and relate to the world around them. The Knight Learning Center was developed to meet these needs in a fun, interactive and hands-on environment. The Center includes artwork from the FWMoA collection curated especially for families, art-making activities, and hands-on engagement stations that teach the elements of art. The Center functions as a classroom for school groups and can be combined with a tour of the museum galleries.
Second Saturday Tour
Join us each month for a special tour of the Museum! Educator-led tours are open to all and will explore current exhibitions with in-depth discussion of selected artworks. On select Second Saturdays, family-friendly tours are lead with interpretation in American Sign Language provided by DeafLink. Three times this summer, we will also host special Story Time tours in the galleries! Enjoy a picture book paired with guided close looking at a related artwork or exhibition.
This program is free with museum admission and pre-registration. Second Saturday Family Tours are specifically for PreK-12 students and their adult companions and will be capped at 20 participants. Pre-registration is required. Tours begin at 10:30 in the FWMoA Atrium and last about an hour.
Teen Council
The FWMoA Teen Council is led by and for area youth, providing opportunities for leadership and learning through arts programming. As ambassadors of the Museum, council members work collaboratively with staff to develop creative, community-oriented projects and events. Applications are considered on a rolling basis with membership capped at 15.
Mission: The FWMoA Teen Council works to provide activities and opportunities for area youth to learn new skills and ideas by exploring their creative side, thus adding value to their life and work and attracting a more diverse audience to the museum.
We’re collecting feedback! Please complete the short survey here to help shape the future of teen programming at FWMoA.
Teen Council Members
Chloe Bryant, Northrop High School
Ash Bushnell, Homestead High School
Amrithasai Gussenhoven, Canterbury High School
Ruxanda Iordan, Snider High SchoolJenna Jorgenson, Homestead High SchoolKerrigan Lichtsinn, Canterbury High School
Sidra Shams, Northrop High SchoolPromyse K Williams, Canterbury High School
Sophie Zhang, Canterbury High School
Accepting Applications!
We are currently accepting applications for the 2024 Fall Semester Internship, open to area high school students. One intern per semester (fall and spring) will be selected. This is an unpaid (volunteer) position.
Teen Interns gain a working understanding of how a museum functions and the various roles of different museum careers with a focus on the education department. The intern may observe or assist with tours, help create educational activities for the galleries, gather research about upcoming exhibitions and teaching strategies, or complete other projects driven by individual interests.
Candidates should have an interest in art and sharing it with the community and be somewhat comfortable speaking in front of a small group. Priority will be given to rising juniors and seniors. Selected candidates must pass a background check before beginning their internship.
Hours are flexible but must fall between regular working hours, generally 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday, and optionally the first Thursday of the month from 5-6:30 pm.
APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR FALL SEMESTER: April 24. All candidates will be contacted by April 29.
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is an Affiliate Partner of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a national program sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, which celebrates the art and writing talents of students in grades 7-12. The Scholastic Awards highlight the exemplary originality, technical skill and emergence of personal voice and vision of Northeast Indiana teens.
Our program is one of only 26 in the country to offer the full art and writing program. Our regional participation has grown to include 52 counties in Indiana and Ohio, with many students continuing on to win national awards.
How to Participate
Stay tuned to the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers website throughout the year to sharpen your skills and stay in the know on exciting opportunities to stay involved. Registration opens on September 1 each year at artandwriting.org.
Contact Alyssa Dumire at [email protected] to learn more.
Important Dates for Scholastic 2025
- September 9, 2024: Program Launch!
- December 17, 11:59 pm: Online submission deadline
- December 19: All submission fees must be RECEIVED
- January 3-4, 2025: Art adjudication
- January 3-7: Writing adjudication
- January 7: Art Awards announced
- January 17: Writing Awards announced
- January 8-16, 6 pm: Artwork drop-off
- February 8 – April 6: Exhibition at FWMoA
- February 16, 12-5 pm: Open House Awards Celebration at FWMoA
- March 4-9: Exhibition closed due to Gala Fundraiser
- April 7 – 15: Artwork pickup at FWMoA
- March 26: National Notification Day
Educator Resources
The documents available for download here are designed to help educators and their students make the most of their Fort Wayne Museum of Art experience. These resources are designed to be flexible—use them to extend learning before or after a visit to the museum, or to experience the artwork in your classroom if you’re unable to bring a field trip.
If you’re bringing your class for a field trip, please contact us to schedule it, even if you don’t want a docent-led tour.
Pre-Visit Resources
Collection Resources
At-Home Learning
Sometimes, art education needs to come to your home. We’re proud to offer resources to make your at-home arts curriculum more robust and fun for your family!
Downloadable Resources
Sometimes, art education needs to come to your home. We’re proud to offer resources to make your at-home arts curriculum more robust and fun for your family!
Download the Chihuly Coloring Book
Download the Hanna Family Coloring Book
Download the Helmholtz Coloring Book
Download Directions to Make-A-Quake