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SUNY Potsdam Art Education Program Leads Community Engagement Initiatives

SUNY Potsdam Art Education Students and Faculty Lead Educational Outreach Activities for Local Youth

Potsdam, NY (04/25/2026) — Students and faculty in SUNY Potsdam's Bachelor of Fine Arts program in art education (K-12) are leading a series of outreach initiatives this semester, providing hands-on arts experiences for local youth while gaining valuable real world teaching practice.

"Our ongoing efforts highlight the art education program's dedication to enriching local arts experiences for both our students and the broader community," said Instructor Katherine Schuler, who also coordinates the program.

On April 22, the SUNY Potsdam Department of Art hosted approximately 100 local second-graders as part of a dynamic field trip. The visit included hands-on artmaking experiences, tours of the Gibson Gallery and art studios, as well as a sculpture scavenger hunt across campus. Lessons ranged from emoji design to explorations of color and design, all led and organized by art education students with faculty guidance -- offering a valuable pre-service teaching experience for the future educators.

Supporting this kind of collaboration is a newly renovated classroom in Brainerd Hall Room 202, thanks to support from the School of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Dr. Shiho Imai. The fully updated classroom space was specially redesigned to host visiting K-12 students on campus, creating a dedicated education environment for pre-service teachers to practice instruction, develop curricula and gain real-world teaching experience -- in addition to their field placements. The renovated space played a central role during the recent field trip and reflects the program's ongoing commitment to practical, application-based teacher preparation.

Art education students and faculty are also preparing to lead a new "Highlighting the Arts!" session as part of the LoKo Arts spring events line-up. The free drop-in event will be held on Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Performing Arts Center lobby. Led by SUNY Potsdam art education students in collaboration with SLC Arts, this free, hands-on program will feature artist Liza LaBarge Paige '12 and offer creative activities targeted for children in Grades Pre-K to 8.

Participants will rotate through vibrant, "highlighter-inspired" versions of painting, drawing, collage, printmaking and mixed media sculpture. Each activity blends guided instruction with open-ended exploration, encouraging creativity, problem-solving and self-expression, while remaining developmentally appropriate and adaptable for diverse ages and abilities. Children will experiment with a range of materials and techniques, discovering personal interests, and building artistic confidence along the way.

The LoKo Arts Festival is made possible by the generosity and artistic vision of Kathryn (Kofoed) '54 and Donald Lougheed (Hon. '54). For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu/loko.

SUNY Potsdam's Department of Art offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree programs in art education, studio art, visual arts, and graphic design and new media. Graduates have gone on to pursue professions in the fine arts, art administration, art therapy, digital design, K-12 and university teaching, museum curation, audio/visual administration, publishing, gallery ownership, interior design, architecture, commercial printing, pattern making, photojournalism, studio ceramics and more. For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu/art.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Media Attachments

A girl gestures while working on a craft project, surrounded by college students in an art education program and classmates.

SUNY Potsdam art education students and faculty recently led a field trip for local schoolchildren (Photo credit: Melody Sample '26).

A child gestures at art on the wall of a gallery, while other children are seated and watching nearby.

A recent field trip hosted by SUNY Potsdam's Department of Art included sessions in the Gibson Gallery (Photo credit: Melody Sample '26).

A professor holds out a coloring sheet for a girl in a school program.

Art education faculty member Danielle Johns works with a student during a SUNY Potsdam field trip (Photo credit: Melody Sample '26).

A girl smiles as she holds up a painted picture of tulips during a field trip.

SUNY Potsdam art education students and faculty recently led a field trip for local schoolchildren (Photo credit: Melody Sample '26).

College students oversee children working on projects during an art field trip to SUNY Potsdam.

SUNY Potsdam art education students and faculty recently led a field trip for local schoolchildren (Photo credit: Melody Sample '26).

A boy stands and reads from a paper while visiting an art gallery. Fellow children are seated on the floor around him, looking at art and listening.

Activities at a recent SUNY Potsdam art education field trip included a visit to the Gibson Gallery and a campus sculpture scavenger hunt (Photo credit: Melody Sample '26).

Children paint in a studio, with art on the walls in the background.

SUNY Potsdam recently renovated a classroom in Brainerd Hall specifically for use in community outreach programs, such as a recent field trip for local second graders (Photo credit: Melody Sample '26).

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