Components

The Milwaukee Visionaries Project
Art and animation after-school program free to City of Milwaukee Middle and High School students.

Pre-College Art & Design Program
On-campus Art & Design classes for Milwaukee-area High School students

ArtsECO Interns
Paid opportunities for UWM Art Education and School of Education students at UWM and area non-profit arts organizations

ArtsECO Fellows
Support for UWM Art Education and School of Education students, and faculty who engage with the ArtsECO programs.

Teacher MeetUps
Monthly teacher workshops with varying arts/arts-integration themes

Summer Institute
Intensive summer course work and professional development series for pre- and in-service teachers on-campus and through UWM collaborations with Lynden Sculpture Garden

Arts Education/Community ECOsystem

ArtsECO Pre-College Art & Design Program

ArtsECO Pre-College provides college-preparatory art and design instruction to Milwaukee-area high school students. Students build their portfolio and art-making skills and venture into new media such as printmaking, sculpture, or digital processes. Participants receive high-quality art supplies, have their work professionally photographed, and exhibit their artwork at UWM! Tied to admissions, this on-campus experience may lead students to college applications, first-year opportunities, and scholarships!

Check out our 2023 Pre-College Program!

Register Now!

ArtsECO partners with MKE REC Arts Internship Program to offer paid ArtsECO Pre-College Internships. Visit their website to learn more and apply to be an ArtsECO Intern and get paid to make art with us!

For information about income-based scholarships or other questions about the ArtsECO Pre-College program, please contact Carrie Kim, ArtsECO Student Programs Coordinator, at artseco-admin@uwm.edu. 

The Milwaukee Visionaries Project (MVP)

Milwaukee Visionaries Project – or MVP – gives Milwaukee-area middle and high school students a chance to tell their stories through video and animation. Participants use industry-standard professional tools to create films that are submitted to the Milwaukee film festival each year. MVP has had several award-winning films featured in Milwaukee Film!

Students meet during the school year on Thursdays from 5-6:30 p.m. MVP takes a break during the summer months. Please contact milwaukee.visionaries.project@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.

Visit the MVP Website

In addition, check out these Milwaukee Area Arts-Related program opportunities for HS Students:

• Check Back: Arts Opportunities for High School Students

Watch the ArtsECO Commercial for UWM students!

Internships

The ArtsECO Internship program is for UW-Milwaukee Art Education and School of Education students interested in teaching in and through the arts. Students are paired with an arts organization/program for a semester-long paid experience in art and community-based education. Internships range from teaching/teaching assistance to museum/gallery education, art installation/archiving, and arts administration. ArtsECO Interns attend mandatory orientation, training, and debrief sessions before and after their semester of internship.

ArtsECO Internships

• Learn more about the ArtsECO Internship Program
• Complete an Intern Application

Interested in hosting a paid ArtsECO Intern? 

• Complete the Host Site Request Form
• Review our Guidelines for Host Sites

Fellowships

ArtsECO Fellows are UWM Art Education and “art-interested” UWM School of Education students who embark on a year-long engagement with the arts/arts integration. Fellows receive SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT for their UWM coursework. Fellowships are awarded annually in New Student, Art Education Pre-Service, Art Education Student Teachers, Part-Time UWM/Part-Time MPS, and School of Education Arts Integration categories, and students may apply each year.

ArtsECO Fellows Applications are accepted from December 15th to February 15th each year.

To apply:

1. Complete the 23/24 ArtsECO Fellows Intent to Apply Form.
2. Complete/update your profile* on the UWM Scholarship Portal.

For questions about ArtsECO Fellows program, email ArtsECO Fellows at artseco-admin@uwm.edu.  If you have questions about the Panther Scholarship Portal, reach out to Rebecca Christman at christrm@uwm.edu.

ArtsECO Fellows description and program requirements:

• Attend the Arts Integration Bootcamp in May
• Volunteer 5 hours in an art education program
• Attend 2 ArtsECO Teacher MeetUps during your Fellowship year
• Submit an art/arts-integrated artifact to the Annual ArtsECO Fellows Reception in January

Explore the ArtsECO Fellows resource library to access our full archive of art and art-integrated lessons and artifacts.

TEACH – Art Educators for Social Justice

What is TEACH? TEACH is a UWM student group for any Art Ed/Arts Integration interested students, where we can talk, share, learn, and make with one another! TEACH will allow you to connect with others and become a community for all, engaging in our own UWM community and outside as well! Members of TEACH host art education and community-building events for interested students!! 

TEACH Resources

Teacher MeetUps

Teacher MeetUps are professional development and networking opportunities for Milwaukee area teachers who teach/are interested in teaching through the arts. They are open to any educator and no prior experience is needed. Each MeetUp has a different focus and includes instruction on a particular art tool/skill, opportunities to meet/network with other educators and time for teachers to make art. MeetUps occur monthly throughout the school year on a weekday evening.

Teacher MeetUps

ArtsECO Resources

ArtsECO resources are created in UWM teacher preparation programs. They reflect current education and art education research methodologies and fulfill national and Wisconsin state standards. They are free to adapt and use in your educational setting.

ArtsECO Resources

My Milwaukee Exhibition 2020: Living History

My Milwaukee 2020: Living History focuses on students’ thoughts and experiences during current times. Our three exhibitions are live and you can watch a recording of our celebration event from Thursday, March 18th, 2021 on Facebook Live!

• Student Artists by Exhibition (Alpha by last name)
• Gold Exhibition 
• Silver Exhibition 
• Bronze Exhibition 

For My Milwaukee 2020, students expressed what they saw, heard, and how they felt during the Covid-19 pandemic in art and writing. Virtual submissions are a cross-section of the experiences of Milwaukee youth. Big thanks to the teachers and students who submitted work from Brown Street Academy, Bruce Guadalupe Middle School, Dominican High, Downtown Montessori Academy, Garland School, Golda Meir High School, Hmong American Peace Academy, Manitoba, Maryland Avenue Montessori, Pius XI High School, Stormonth School, UCC Acosta Middle School, and West Allis Central High.

My Milwaukee 2020 Artifacts:
2020 My Milwaukee Exhibition: Living History call for K-12 student work
My Milwaukee Optional Collage Lesson (video)
Tips for Digital Documentation (taking pictures) of Work

Helpful Links

• National Arts Education and Integration Resources: Kennedy Arts Integration Resources, Annenberg Learner, The Art of Education, Smithsonian Educator Resources
• Visual Literacy Resources: Harvard’s Project Zero, Visual Thinking Strategies, Visual Language and Literacy
• Standards: National Core Arts Standards, Visual Art Student Portfolio Examples
• Becoming a Licensed Art Teacher: UWM Art Education, DPI’s Pathways to Licensure
• Connecting with Art & Nature: Lynden Sculpture Garden
• Teaching Social Justice: Cult of Pedagogy, Anti-Racist Art Teachers, Ask Big Questions
• Teaching with Contemporary Art: Art21 Educators Page, PBS’s The Art Assignment