KSMoCA is a contemporary art museum inside a functioning public school

The Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA), is a contemporary art museum and social practice art project inside and in partnership with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, a Pre K - 5th grade public school in NE Portland, OR. Founded in 2014 by Portland State University professors Lisa Jarrett and Harrell Fletcher, KSMoCA connects public school students with internationally renowned contemporary artists through collaborative workshops, exhibitions, artists lectures and site-specific commissions. Students learn through experience about museum practice and careers in the arts by participating as curators, preparators, artists, gallerists, writers, and docents.

KSMoCA reimagines the way museums, public schools, and universities can affect people, culture, and perspectives by creating radical intersections for sharing resources across organizations. Programs are developed collaboratively with the Dr MLK Jr School community, PSU students, and a team of supporting artists.

 

Lately at KSMoCA…

We hope your Turkey Day was filling and loving. This Thursday December 5, we are so excited to host Adriene Cruz for our fall artist talk and exhibition opening. Cruz collaborated with 1st graders at Dr. MLK Jr. Elementary, and their lovely art cre
Our mentors and students had fun making crafts last week before the Thanksgiving break. We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! We’re excited to come back after the break and have Adriene Cruz for a special Artist talk! Stay tuned for more
This week we had Part 2 of our Artist Workshop with Adriene Cruz Ms. Maalaea’s first graders added special embellishments to their work as they talked about how they felt about their art. It was an expressive and creative day with Adriene. W
🌟What a time! A special Halloween Artist Workshop with Adriene Cruz. 🎃 This week we had the pleasure of welcoming Adriene Cruz, a textile and quilt artist with a passion for colors and textures, for an Artist Workshop with the 1st graders at Dr. K
Another year of “Art with Kids: Museum in a public school”! PSU students have met their mentees! This year, King School’s kindergartners will be working with PSU students at KSMoCA. Each pair will be working collaboratively for an
This Thursday, June 6, we’re excited to host an artist talk and exhibition opening with Intisar Abioto! The events start at 10am in the library of Dr. MLK Jr. Elementary. They are free and open to the public…just be sure to check in at t
Last Wednesday, we had a workshop with Ms. Ruby and Intisar, our guest artist! Students in Ms. De Lara-Vargas' class participated with great enthusiasm. What an experience—touching, smelling, tasting, and sharing! We all enjoyed our time togeth
Have you ever wanted to know a more about how KSMoCA does what it does? Yes? Ok! Join us on Thursday, May 16 for a short event called “Place-based Learning in Practice with KSMoCA.” You can tune in via Zoom or attend in person at KSMoCA!
Today we hosted Professor Coty Raven Morris as our second guest lecturer as part of the Sankofa at KSMoCA Community Lecture Series. (Not only is she a professor at PSU, she’s also a Grammy-nominated music educator! And children’s book aut
Today was the day for Sadé DuBoise’s Artist Talk and Exhibition opening! Not only were the 2nd-grade students from Ms. Tran’s class, who collaborated with Sadé, excited to see her, but many other students were also keenly i
Last Thursday, KSMoCA had the pleasure of welcoming Spenser Garland! As an interdisciplinary artist and the founder of Brenda Art, his presence was a thrill for students eager to meet a real game artist known for creating a diverse array of exciting
This Thursday, we're thrilled to host an Artist Talk and Exhibition Opening featuring Sadé DuBoise! Sadé collaborated with 2nd graders at Dr. MLK Jr. Elementary, and their vibrant art creations are set to be showcased at KSMoCA alongs
KSMoCA is thrilled to introduce Sadé DuBoise as a guest artist for Winter 2024! Based in Portland, Sadé is a painter who views her artistic practice as a sacred space for reflecting on her identity, existence, and life experiences. Cu
Registration for Spring 2024 has begun! One of the most unique classes at PSU, "Art with Kids – Museum in a Public School," is open to students of all majors! This means you don't need any prior art or educational background or exper

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About KSMoCA

Founded in the 2014-2015 academic year, the Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA) is an artist-run project in the form of a museum. We work in partnership with Dr. MLK Jr. public elementary school and world-renowned contemporary artists to stage exhibitions, projects, and programs. For more info see…