DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

The Department of Education and Public Engagement develops adventurous, multidisciplinary programming in which the museum and city of Detroit function as sites for investigation and experimentation.

MOCAD curators and invited guests work with international and local communities to produce events and projects that are fun, rigorous and innovative. The department aspires to support youth and adults in learning and growing as free thinkers, to be culturally inclusive, artistically forward-thinking and intellectually ambitious.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Since its inception, the Museum has hosted more than 400 musical concerts, film screenings, lectures, readings, discussions, workshops and other events that feature guests from the region, across the states and overseas. See Upcoming Events for more information.

EDUCATION

Education at MOCAD provides a point of access into contemporary art, contributing to a lifelong conversation with challenging ideas and exploratory creative practice. The Curator of Education leads in developing on and off-site curriculum for all ages, both related to exhibition programming and the expanded field of contemporary art and culture. DEPE responds to the challenges of local schools and values feedback; our approach is self-critical and audience-driven, redefining its ability to be of and by our community.


DEPE SPACE RESIDENTS

Click here for information on DEPE Space residents. DEPE Space is the Department of Education and Public Engagement’s new residency program for creative and spirited individuals of any discipline who are interested in a project which focuses on learning and visitor engagement. Launched in 2012, the residency length ranges from one week to one month and ties conceptually to MOCAD’s exhibition programming. Six to nine residencies are offered each year. DEPE Space residents produce an installation, public performance, talk, workshop, Family Day event, and often visit local K-12 schools, colleges and universities.

WORKSHOPS
MOCAD's special workshops provide unique hands-on opportunities for learning through cutting edge contemporary art and the artist that make them. By utilizing our unique place in the community we are able to bring Detroit youth in direct contact with influential artists and their art making process. The workshops take advantage of MOCAD's large industrial space allowing for more diverse, experimental, and open forms of expression.

FAMILY DAY
Once a month, on the third sunday, visitors are invited to participate in a range of art-making activities that highlight our current exhibitions. These workshops are free and welcome families with children of all ages. For upcoming Family Day programs, click here.

TOURS
MOCAD offers guided group visits for all ages, backgrounds and interests. Museum educators promote discussion allowing visitors to make connections between art and everyday. Teachers are welcome to contact the education department if they wish to tailor their MOCAD experience to enhance their curriculum. Please contact Katie McGowan, Curator of Education, at kmcgowan@mocadetroit.org to schedule a tour. All MOCAD tours are free and open to the public.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

MOCAD’s Public Engagement work is focused on bridging the expanse that exists between the institution and its visitors. It features the all-new Commando Program, which invites artists, interns and volunteers to explore the Museum’s physical plant and operations as worthy areas for intervention. Goals are to destabilize power structures, to make the invisible more visible and question audience assumptions about institutional modes and standards. The Commando Program’s first artist visited the Museum in fall 2012. Click here for information on previous Commando artists.

The Engagement program also features on and off-site projects with artists, educators, activists and entrepreneurs in the community. Community engagement at MOCAD is meant to break open the field of traditional event programming and ask the visitor to interact directly with Museum staff, fellow Museum guests or passers-by on the street. Such activities include a swap meet, trading booth, drive-in radio theater, roller coaster in the back parking lot, and community barbeque.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS

Children's Hospital of Michigan
Children's Hospital of Michigan’s mission is to improve the health and well being of all children and their communities by advancing the science and practice of pediatric health care and through advocacy efforts. Children's Hospital of Michigan is not only a leader in healthcare, but also in providing outstanding patient care. The hospital works with local arts organizations to ensure its patients have access to music, literature and visual art.

MOCAD and Children's Hospital of Michigan have partnered to present an ongoing closed-circuit television project: CCTV PARTY! (Contemporary art Call-in TV Party). MOCAD’s Curator of Education and Curator of Public Engagement have also coordinated “Show & Tell with Cardboard Cosmonaut Caleb Gentry!” and a “Drop-In Percussion Workshop” with special guest musicians Shaking Ray Levis.

The Guidance Center and Kids-TALK (Talking and Listening To Kids)
The Guidance Center is a human services organization dedicated to the mental well-being of children, adults and families in Wayne County, Michigan. MOCAD and The Guidance Center recently produced its second youth poetry slam. A large, enthusiastic group of participants and a great event confirm this will be on ongoing collaboration.

Ruth Ellis Center
The Ruth Ellis Center provides short-term and long-term residential safe space and support services for runaway, homeless and at-risk gay, lesbian, bi-attractional, transgender and questioning youth in Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.

The Summer 2011 season marked the beginning of an important collaboration between the Ruth Ellis Center and MOCAD. The first project was a creative writing exercise and silkscreening workshop, in which the youth branded pillow cases that they exhibited at the Michigan Gay Pride Festival. The second project was a photography workshop and exhibition dealing with love and identity issues in the LGBTQ community.

Arab American National Museum
The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves and presents the history, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. The AANM is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization.

MOCAD and AANM have recently begun sharing skills. MOCAD Education staff participated in AANM’s “Watch Your Waste” project, visiting Dearborn Middle Schools to work on art projects made from recycled materials. This is a partnership that will continue to grow in the coming year.