Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center sends this information as posted below:
OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 7, 2025) — Oklahoma Contemporary is proud to announce the launch of ARTS LAB, a newly unified education platform that delivers arts-integrated, future-ready programming to students, teachers and schools across the state. Grounded in contemporary visual and performing arts, ARTS LAB includes reimagined field trips, hands-on educator workshops and a redesigned high school event focused on creative careers.
The result of extensive feedback from educators and community partners, ARTS LAB is designed to make the arts more accessible, interdisciplinary and relevant to today’s classrooms. With programs that connect directly to academic standards and real-world creative fields, ARTS LAB serves as a bridge between classroom learning and professional artistic practice.
Responding to a statewide call for more impactful, cross-curricular learning, ARTS LAB replaces Oklahoma Contemporary’s previous arts education formats with a flexible, standards-aligned structure that supports Oklahoma Academic Standards, integrates STEAM priorities and prepares young people for creative futures.
“ARTS LAB at Oklahoma Contemporary will be a dynamic hub for creative exploration, where young people will engage deeply with contemporary art, discover their voice and build real-world skills through hands-on, project-based learning,” said Trent Riley, executive director at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. “It is where curiosity meets craft, and where the next generation of thinkers, makers and leaders begins to take shape.”
A New Model for Arts Learning
ARTS LAB: Field Trips immerse grades 3–12 students in gallery experiences and studio projects that connect art to real-world STEAM concepts. Each visit combines hands-on learning, guided exhibition tours and curriculum-aligned instruction, making the experience valuable across subject areas, not just visual art classrooms.
ARTS LAB: Educator Workshops offer teachers studio-based professional development focused on creative strategies and reflective practice. Designed to equip educators with tools they can use immediately, these sessions support both artistic growth and classroom application.
ARTS LAB: Creative Careers, Oklahoma Contemporary’s updated high school event, introduces students to real-world pathways in the arts. Through live performance, moderated career panels and hands-on workshops, students explore creative fields with working professionals in theater, ballet and visual art.
Meeting the Moment for Oklahoma Schools
The changes come at a time when Oklahoma educators and district leaders, including Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS), are asking cultural organizations to provide more rigorous, cross-disciplinary learning opportunities. ARTS L AB is built in direct response to this call, offering programs that connect creative exploration with core academic goals and workforce readiness.
“Our district partners want programs that reinforce both creative and academic growth,” said Director of Learning and Engagement Christine Gibson. “ARTS LAB is our answer: future-focused, standards-aligned and designed to meet teachers where they are, while inspiring students to imagine where they can go.”
The program underscores Oklahoma Contemporary’s commitment to long-term partnerships with schools and a belief in the transformative power of art across disciplines, communities and futures.
About Oklahoma Contemporary
Oklahoma Contemporary, formed in 1989 as City Arts Center by Christian Keesee and Kirkpatrick Foundation Director Marilyn Myers, is a nonprofit organization committed to providing quality, accessible and affordable arts programming. With a mission to encourage artistic expression in all its forms through education, exhibitions and performance, Oklahoma Contemporary is committed to instilling in the public a lifetime appreciation of the arts and enthusiasm for creative practice. For more information on free exhibitions, class schedules and public programs, visit oklahomacontemporary.org.
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