School & Teacher Programs

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you and your students to join us at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art to look, discover, question, and explore art through lively discussion, careful observation, and art-making activities. In a time when technology and AI are much in the news, we remind you that art sparks creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation. In a time when social emotional learning is key to student well-being, we remind you that evidence shows that art making, and visiting art museums, can benefit mental health; supporting emotional resilience, helping us to understand who we are, and how we connect to others.

We hope students of all ages and abilities will feel welcome and confident expressing themselves in the safe, open, creative environment of the Museum, and that you as teachers will see us as a resource for your classroom as well; a place for inspiring personal connection.

Through our Educator Open House, online lesson plans, special programs, and workshops we hope you will gain skills and find new resources to enhance your teaching. In addition to our regular offerings, we look forward to the opportunity to work with you to develop a program that best fits your curricular needs.

We are grateful for your continued commitment to your students and to art as an important part of your teaching. You recognize that art is not a "nice to have” but a “have to have.” You see art as the transformative vehicle it has always been.

Courage, compassion, creativity, curiosity, and community—you foster all of these qualities in your classrooms. We hope you find that they are amplified and nurtured by your connection to the Museum and to art.

Sincerely,
Patsy Hicks
Director of Education
Santa Barbara Museum of Art

SBMA School Tours

Register your students for virtual or in-person field trips!