Education & Outreach

As part of Lawndale Art Center’s mission, Lawndale is dedicated to offering educational programs for students, educators, artists and the general public. Tours, internships, volunteer opportunities and community outreach events are the core of Lawndale’s educational programming.

Tours

Guided tours are available to visiting groups, including school tours, Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Lead by Lawndale staff or interns, tours usually last about forty-five minutes and are always free of charge. We encourage educators or coordinators of tour groups to preview the exhibition for content. For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour or school tour, contact our Education and Volunteer Coordinator at education@lawndaleartcenter.org or 713. 528. 5858.

Click here to download the Tour Confirmation Form.

Internships

Due to the small number of Lawndale staff members, Lawndale’s interns have the opportunity to participate in every aspect of the organization, including planning and installation of exhibitions, opening events, tours and educational outreach programs, public relations, fundraising events and the daily operations and maintenance of Lawndale’s four galleries.

At the start of the internship, the intern and staff define an optional project of interest with a specific goal or objective. This may be a research project or a project related to a special event or exhibition. Past projects have included: registrar responsibilities; organizing archives; creating student projects; membership; and coordination of volunteers.

Throughout the course of the internship, the intern is asked to assist the staff on high priority tasks such as assistance with exhibition installation, mass-mailing projects and daily activities associated with gallery administration. The intern is also provided time apart from these activities to work on and finish their project of interest.

All interns will meet with staff members during the course of the internship in order to update staff on individual projects and to ensure that their own needs are being met at Lawndale. At this time, interns will be given tours to area arts organizations. Past tour include visits to Project Row Houses, The Menil Collection and The Orange Show.

An internship at the Lawndale Art Center can be a rewarding and educational experience. Lawndale’s interns and volunteers are an integral part of what makes this organization such a success.

For more information, or to apply, please send a copy of your résumé and letter of interest to education@lawndaleartcenter.org.

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Museum Educators Open House

Each spring, Lawndale Art Center participates in the Houston Museum District’s Museum Educators Open House, organized by the Houston Museum District Association. During this annual event, teachers, school district administrators, student teachers and home school educators are invited, free of charge, to learn about the educational resources, programs, and field trip information available at Lawndale and its neighbors in the Houston Museum District. In addition to having a booth, Lawndale and 30+ Houston area museums and cultural institutions give 30 minute presentations to educators throughout the day. Event participants can potentially earn Continuing Education Credits, while also receiving free admission to all 18 Museum District sites.

For more information, visit the Houston Museum District’s website: www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org

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Museum District Day

On Museum District Day, Lawndale Art Center invites you to join the fun for a day exciting art activities. In 2007, visitors were invited to work along with local graffiti artists, Christian Azul and GONZO247 of Aerosol Warfare, Adrian de la Cerda of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, a.k.a. Mr. Bristle, and ***Color One***, to "tag" our North exterior wall with sidewalk chalk.

All ages are encouraged to participate and Lawndale provides all materials. Although Lawndale is always free, on this day, every museum in the Houston Museum District is free.

For more information, check out the Houston Museum District’s website: www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org

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Día de los Muertos

Through the Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead Education Program, Lawndale Art Center encourages teachers to educate their students about this important celebration and its related art traditions with an invitation to area schools to participate in our Día de los Muertos calendar of events. Lawndale staff assists teachers in coordinating activities for their students and offers schools the opportunity to display their work in our Mezzanine and Cavnar Galleries. In past years, students have recreated the traditions of this festival with interpretations of sugar skulls, papel picado, papier-mache skeletons, retablos, ofrendas and large-scale installations. To honor these young aspiring artists, Lawndale hosts a Family Day Fiesta for students, teachers and the general public. Traditional hot chocolate and pan de muerto is served at the Family Day Fiesta along with performances by local organizationsm including Mixteco Ballet Folklorico. If you would like your students to participate in this event, please contact the Lawndale staff at:

education@lawndaleartcenter.org or call 713.528.5858

Educators are also invited to view our teacher’s Resource page for more information about Día de los Muertos and its history.

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Bayou City Art Festival

Twice a year, in the fall and spring, Lawndale participates as a Non-Profit Partner in the Creative Zone during the Bayou City Art Festival. Sponsored by the Art Colony Association, the Bayou City Art Festival helps raise money and gives exposure to several local non-profit organizations, including Lawndale Art Center. As a participating non-profit partner, Lawndale is asked to provide volunteers to help staff the festival. Lawndale Art Center’s booth offers a fun and easy art activity for children visiting the festival. Past activities include, Springy Bonnets and Bowlers, Tin Art, Spring Dioramas, and Books and Bindings.

To learn more about the festival, please visit: www.bayoucityartfestival.com/

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Lectures and Workshops

Throughout the year, Lawndale offers lectures and workshops for the public. Topics and themes for these events vary, although some, such as The Big Show Slide Show and our Design Fair lecture happen annually. In conjunction with the Lawndale Artist Studio Program, three resident studio artists offer a public workshop or lecture during their nine-month residency. Lawndale also presents artist talks at exhibition openings, which are free and open to the public.

Visit our Events page for upcoming lectures at Lawndale.

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