ArtsBridge Scholar Marco Davis
ArtsBridge Scholar Marco Davis teaches second graders dance at O'Hara Catholic School

In alignment with the museum’s mission to serve K-12 communities throughout the state, the staff at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is committed to creating educational programs and to training teachers to integrate the arts back into the classroom.

In support of this commitment, we offer extensive educational outreach programs that include:

Dragon Puppet Theatre

JSMA Puppet Theater
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art's Puppet Theater

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art’s Dragon Puppet Theatre brings ancient and modern tales from around the world to life with colorful puppet shows. The group performs with hand crafted, authentically-costumed puppets for both K-12 classrooms and community groups.

The puppet shows are based on stories that have been handed down from generation to generation in China, Japan, Korea, and the American Northwest—all regions of focus in the art museum’s collection. The Dragon Theatre's newest offering, "The Vanishing Matisse", is a lively story which introduces viewers of all ages to basic art concepts.

The following show titles are available for the 2008-2009 school year:

Kintaro, a Japanese folk tale
Raven and Petral, a Native American folk tale
The Zodiac Race about the Chinese calendar in celebration of Chinese New Year (January and February only)
The Vanishing Matisse, a story for teaching the elements of art. This show may be enjoyed on its own or as a complement to a "Learning to Look" tour at the museum.

Puppet performances cost $1/attendee. If you are interested in scheduling a puppet show, please request a performance or call the education department at (541) 346-0968.

ArtsBridge at the University of Oregon

ArtsBridge at the University of Oregon, part of the ArtsBridge America network, works in partnership with local public schools to provide high-quality arts education to K-12 school children. One of the program’s primary objectives is to provide professional support for K-12 teachers in an effort to integrate the arts into the traditional curricula while addressing local, state, and national standards in the arts. ArtsBridge recognizes public schools’ need for the inclusion of arts education within a comprehensive curriculum, and is acting to aid universities in applying their vast stores of expertise and personnel on behalf of K-12 improvements in teacher support and child learning.

K-12 teachers interested in participating in ArtsBridge at the UO are asked to complete a Classroom Teacher Application and mail it to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.