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Kidzu Children's Museum 2012-2013 OCAC Application Narrative: Building Community Through Mosaic III
<br /> OCAC ARTS PROGRAM APPLICATION NARRATIVE
<br /> "Building Community through Mosaic III:An Outreach Program for the Children of Orange County"
<br /> Kidzu Children's Museum,May 2012
<br /> Organizational Profile
<br /> Kidzu Children's Museum is an educational,interactive museum for young children and their caregivers in Chapel Hill,
<br /> NC.A 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization,Kidzu's mission is to inspire young children and the adults in their lives to
<br /> learn through play.Our programs and exhibits are dedicated to sparking a love of learning in children with a particular
<br /> focus on nurturing creativity and providing engaging,developmentally-appropriate educational experiences for all
<br /> children in our community. The museum is situated in the heart of historic downtown Chapel Hill,just down the street
<br /> from the University of North Carolina.Kidzu serves the young children,families and schools of Orange,Durham,and
<br /> Chatham counties,as well as visitors from other areas of North Carolina and beyond.Our target age range is 0-8 years.
<br /> Kidzu has a solid foundation of experience in artistic education.We have hosted a number of traveling exhibits
<br /> celebrating the arts such as"Inside Art,"which invited children to literally step into the frames of famous works of art,
<br /> and"Every Picture Tells a Story,"which celebrated diversity with dynamic play settings and artwork by Garth Williams,
<br /> Dr.Seuss and other beloved illustrators. In July 2008,Kidzu unveiled our first original exhibit,"Kidzoom:The Power of
<br /> Creativity."This interactive educational exhibit was designed to celebrate our community and its creativity.It
<br /> incorporates works of art by more than a dozen local artists and encourages children to exercise creativity in all areas of
<br /> life with an entire section,the"Kidoodle Moodle"Art Studio,dedicated to rotating hands-on art activities.
<br /> Kidzu Children's Museum opened its doors in March 2006 at 105 E.Franklin Street.At this site,Kidzu served more than
<br /> 150,000 visitors and provided dozens of educational programs.In November 2011,Kidzu moved across Franklin Street
<br /> to a new location at University Square. Demand for Kidzu's services exceeds the capacity of our current 1,800 square
<br /> foot site.We plan to expand to a larger,permanent home of 15,000 square feet in the next few years.The interim site at
<br /> University Square allows Kidzu to continue serving our community as we plan and build our permanent museum.
<br /> The Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously voted to provide a site for Kidzu's expansion museum in downtown Chapel
<br /> Hill.The$1/year,99-year lease for this site is valued at$4 million.The new site sits on the Wallace rooftop plaza,across
<br /> from the University of North Carolina.It includes space to construct a multi-story building of 15,000 ft2 with an area of
<br /> 7,500 ft2 for outdoor exhibits and programs.This location will allow us to expand while contributing to the vitality of
<br /> our downtown by providing a family-friendly creative destination. Kidzu Children's Museum's vision for the future is to
<br /> become one of the best community children's museums in the country—that is,to excel at serving,celebrating,and
<br /> reflecting our community.Through partnerships with the exceptional educational and cultural institutions in our area,we
<br /> also aspire to become an innovator in museum-based learning for families.Our goal is to create a museum infused with
<br /> creativity,one informed by best practices in education,where we develop new methods for educating children and
<br /> families and contribute to a broader understanding of how children and families learn creatively in museums.With the
<br /> extraordinary educational resources of our region and ongoing support of the community,along with the creativity and
<br /> expertise of Kidzu's staff and partners,we have an outstanding opportunity to fulfill this vision.
<br /> Current Proerams and Services
<br /> Kidzu offers a wide range of programs including hands-on arts programs that celebrate our community's creativity and
<br /> feature local artists,performers,authors,dancers,musicians and others.We have established dozens of partnerships with
<br /> local cultural and educational organizations at UNC and in the broader community,such as the Ackland Art Museum,
<br /> PlayMakers'Repertory Company,the FPG Child Development Institute,the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission and
<br /> other Town entities.Kidzu co-hosts a quarterly collaborative studio program with the Ackland Art Museum,bi-annual
<br /> programs with PlayMakers Repertory Company,and workshops with the Morehead Planetarium and FRANK Gallery,
<br /> among others.Kidzu has also partnered with the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission on its Artists in Residence/Artists
<br /> at Work Program,exhibiting works created by professional artists and elementary school students,hosting free
<br /> receptions for participating children,and offering related art workshops for our preschool visitors. Regular Kidzu art
<br /> programs held in our studio include:Painting in the P.M.,Messy Morning in the Art Room,and Clay at the End of the
<br /> Day. In addition,we offer outreach to children in need through a range of free and discounted visit programs for schools
<br /> and families,such as our Free Sundays program and our free field trips for children in need.
<br /> Proposed Uses of Grant Funds
<br /> Based on the success of our 2010-11 and 2011-12 grants,generously supported by the Orange County Arts
<br /> Commission,we are seeking to continue our arts outreach with an enhanced series of collaborative community
<br /> workshops featuring artist Jeannette Brossart in partnership with several Orange County organizations serving
<br /> children in need.
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