Place-based Learning in Practice with KSMoCA

At PSU, we “let knowledge serve the city”, but how? To what end? Who benefits? Come to this hybrid panel event to hear stories from Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA).

KSMoCA is a contemporary art museum and social practice art project inside and in partnership with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, pre-kindergarten through fifth grade public school in NE Portland. 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.

Location

This event takes place in person and online. KSMoCA is located within Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. Please use the main entrance on the Sixth Avenue Side of the school. When you arrive, please sign in at the main office on the first floor.

Panelists

Laura Glazer
Portland State University
Laura Glazer is an artist, adjunct instructor in PSU's School of Art and Design, and KSMoCA's Program Manager and Design and Publications Director.

Kiara Hill
Portland State University
Kiara Hill Ph.D, is a Visiting Assistant Professor who teaches courses in Art History, and the Art + Social Practice MFA Program in the School of Art + Design at Portland State University. They teach the PSU KSMoCA course and work alongside Program Director, Laura Glazer.

Michelle Peake
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School
Michelle Peake is a school counselor at Dr. MLK Jr. Elementary School where she has worked for nine years. She facilitates the Queer Student Association and is a KSMoCA project partner.

Nancy Rios- Araujo
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School
Nancy Rios- Araujo is a KSMoCA project partner and is School Admin Assistant 2 and Project Coordinator at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School where she has worked for 23 years.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA) in Action

Laura Glazer explains the process of printing color photos to a second grade student at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. Glazer is the Program Manager and Design and Publications Director of Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA). Photo courtesy of KSMoCA (Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art).

Dr. Kiara Hill with Rose, a fifth grade student at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. Hill is the James DePriest Visiting Professor of Art History. Hill and Rose were a Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA) mentor/mentee pair and together they curated an exhibit of artwork at Littman + White Galleries. Photo courtesy of KSMoCA (Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art). 

KSMoCA project partners Michelle Peake and Nancy Rios-Araujo discuss artwork for an exhibit. Peake is a school counselor at Dr. MLK Jr. Elementary School and Rios-Araujo is School Admin Assistant II and Project Coordinator. Photo by Laura Glazer, courtesy of KSMoCA (Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art).

Moe Hassan leads a tour of The Imagine: a photography exhibition by MOE at KSMoCA (Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art). At the time of his photography exhibit, Hassan was a second-grade student at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade public school in Portland, Oregon. The exhibition was curated by members of the KSMoCA Student Curatorial Committee. Photo by Elijah Hassan, courtesy of KSMoCA (Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art).