School Programs

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.

Pre-K Programs

FWMoA’s Pre-K Program offers early learners an introduction to the museum and visual literacy through the connection between art and storytelling. Teachers can select between four different classroom lessons that pair an artwork from the collection with a picture book and artmaking activity. Then, visit the museum for a tour and time in our recently redesigned Learning Center.

Thanks to generous support from donors and private foundations, FWMoA’s Pre-K Programs are a free resource for schools, teachers, and students in Northeast Indiana.

Please schedule a tour at least 2-3 weeks in advance.

School Tours

Our School Tour program welcomes students of all grade levels to experience our galleries. Inquiry-based tours encourage students to look closely to unlock meaning, build personal and academic connections, and foster critical and creative thinking. Museum visits last about an hour and consist of a short orientation presentation to introduce concepts and vocabulary, followed by an interactive, small-group tour. All tours are structured to correlate with state standards and incorporate cross-curricular teaching techniques. New themed tours offer a focused exploration of a single topic across the museum, spending more time with fewer artworks. Homeschool groups are welcome.

This program is available for free to the public and private schools in the following counties thanks to the generosity of the Lincoln Financial Foundation: Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley.

Please schedule a tour at least 3-4 weeks in advance.

2forU: FWMoA partners with local organizations (see logo with participating venues) to make it easy to combine two field trips on one day! To schedule, click here!

Have questions? Fill out the tour form and we’ll get back to you!

Interested in becoming a docent? Visit our Careers and Internships page.

Gallery on Wheels

This unique outreach program brings a selection of carefully curated original and reproduced art into Northeast Indiana classrooms. They’re designed to foster cross-curricular discussions and hands-on activities, with connections made to art, social studies and science, and are presented by our Art Education team. Through this program, students often have their first experience of original art and learn about the makers of the art and their search for creative solutions to the challenges they experienced. This experience augments teachers’ ongoing efforts to provide students with a holistic education.

Thanks to generous support from donors and private foundations, Gallery on Wheels is a free resource for schools, teachers, and students in Northeast Indiana.

Please schedule at least 2-3 weeks in advance.

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.

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.

Virtual Gallery of Student Artwork and Writing