Learning & Community Engagement

Programs Tours and Classes Resources Community Art & Nature Center Team

Let’s Grow Together

Learning & Community Engagement deepens people’s understanding of and connection to the artistry, scholarship, science and sense of community PEM offers. We provide opportunities for people to gather, learn, play, celebrate and create. We seek to inspire creativity, curiosity, community and care in everything we do.

From The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center, our hub for intergenerational explorations, to artist residencies, multidisciplinary performances, internships and innovative learning programs, we have something for everyone. From yoga in the galleries and meditation in the garden to mindfulness lessons and sensory friendly tours, we strive to support holistic social and emotional well-being, self-care and mental health. Join us as we grow together and find new ways to find joy and inspiration throughout the year.

Programs

Through public programming and performances, we offer thought-provoking experiences of the arts, humanities and sciences to activate understanding of our shared humanity and to empower imagination and learning through experimentation. These series and special engagements include artist- and curator-led tours, performances, panels, film screenings, special events and art making opportunities.

PEM Presents

PEM Presents further activates the museum as a global center for artistry, culture and creativity, with artist residencies, live performances, lecture series and symposia. This series encourages audiences to learn about the artistic process and supports the development of artists with local, regional, national and global perspectives.

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PEM Reads

PEM Reads celebrates the art of literature and the creative act of writing through a year-round series of collaborative book club readings and author events, both in person and online. By gathering to read and discuss world-class literature and meet authors, PEM Reads seeks to deepen our sense of community and celebrate great storytelling.

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Exhibition Engagements

Designed to surprise and delight, Exhibition Engagements enhance and deepen the connection between our visitors and our current exhibition, fostering an environment of continuous learning. Collection Connections engage audiences with PEM’s vast collections through performances, curator conversations, panels and art making.

Civic Celebrations

PEM is renowned for its major annual events that engage and celebrate our wide-ranging audiences. From Eerie Events, a series of hauntingly fun October activities that explore the chilling side of history, to Lunar New Year, a festive celebration highlighting the rich heritage of cultures from across Asia, and PEM Pride, a vibrant celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture and history.

Music in the Atrium

Music in the Atrium transforms our central gathering space into a hub of creativity and entertainment. This regular series includes music and dance performances, infusing the atrium with energy and excitement that honors creativity as a nourishing force in people’s lives.

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Curator Conversations

This lecture and dialogue series shares our world-class curators’ latest scholarship and insights into PEM’s collections, exhibitions and ongoing research.

PEM Pals

Designed for children ages 5 and under and their caregivers, PEM Pals aims to engage and excite all of the senses through books, movement, music, art and hands-on activities, making the museum an inviting and engaging space for early learners.

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Art in the Atrium

Art in the Atrium celebrates the power of creative expression by occasionally displaying community-generated art and helping visitors explore their creativity via free art-making activities in our central gathering space.

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Collection Connections

These events focus on engaging audiences with our long term collections, including performances, special events, conversations and tours with curators, panels and art-making workshops.

Tours and Classes

PEM's Guided Learning team facilitates learning experiences through tours, workshops, lectures and special events.

Classic Guides Program
Our Classic Guides Program is a lifelong learning opportunity for volunteers, providing intellectual, social and emotional support, while creating a deep social network dedicated to the success and long-term life of PEM. Contact ellen_soares@pem.org to learn more and to get involved.

Public, Private & Curator-Led Tours
Guides and curators lead regularly scheduled gallery tours, provide in-depth knowledge, share behind-the-scenes stories and engage with visitors on a personal level. Contact akiyo_nishimiya@pem.org to learn more and schedule a tour for your group.

Creative Foundations
Creative Foundations classes are designed for both beginners and advanced practitioners seeking new challenges. These workshops blend access to our rich and multi-faceted global collection with personal instruction from experienced educators and professional artists, making each session an immersive and enriching experience. Past sessions include glass blowing and oil painting. Visit our Events page to register for an upcoming Creative Foundations class.

Resources

PEM offers a range of student, educator and general-audience resources to supplement museum visits and support independent learning.

School Programming
With in-depth, standards-based activities and lesson plans that also support students and educators’ social and emotional well-being, our in-school and onsite programs provide students and teachers with illuminating opportunities to activate their learning via the arts. Each year, more than 10,000 students visit PEM with school groups and thousands more are served by our in-school and after-school programming throughout schools and community centers. Book a tour or workshop HERE.

Professional Development
Professional Development offerings provide educators and artists with opportunities to grow their capacity and expand their access to PEM. Email learning@pem.org for more information.

Lesson Plans & Study Guides
We offer supporting materials about ongoing exhibitions, collections and special topics for students, educators and learners of all ages and backgrounds. Please email martine_malengret-bardosh@pem.org for more information regarding lesson plans and study guides.

Internships and Fellowships

PEM's Internship and Fellowship Programs help prepare individuals for successful careers in the arts through immersive experiences and enriching opportunities. Rooted in our commitment to equity, belonging and collaboration, we empower cohorts of emerging leaders to explore, create and lead with passion and purpose. By fostering an inclusive environment that celebrates creativity and curiosity, we cultivate a community dedicated to shaping the future of museum work. Click here to learn more and apply.

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Emerging Arts Leaders

PEM is looking for motivated, energetic high school students to work with the Learning and Community Engagement team as Emerging Arts Leaders. This internship offers participants the opportunity to engage with art, culture and history, share critical feedback with PEM and learn about a range of career paths. Interns will work with staff members, peers and professional artists to evaluate the museum's outreach and make recommendations on how to engage teen audiences through events, exhibitions and special projects. Internships run in the fall and spring. Email Danielle Olsen at danielle_olsen@pem.org.

Community

We develop Community Engagement programs and projects that reach outside PEM's walls in order to deepen the museum’s community ties, enrich lives, and strengthen health and well-being at the local, regional, national and global levels. These efforts are developed via long-term partnerships, after-school programs, external and internal events and community-based special projects. Current partners include the Northshore YMCA, LEAP for Education, NAGLY, Collins Middle School and WPS, EforAll, ECLC/Power of Place and the Punto Urban Art Museum. Are you a community-based organization that would like to partner with PEM or learn more about our approach to community engagement? Email Hannah Varden at hannah_varden@pem.org.

PEM Pride
PEM Pride programs support and celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community members of all ages with year-round programming, including our annual Pride celebration. To get involved or learn more, email learning@pem.org.

The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center

The Art & Nature Center (ANC), our intergenerational hub, is dedicated to experiential learning for all and to empowering environmental stewardship and action.

The ANC:

Explores ways that nature is fundamental to what makes us human – from cultivating empathy to expanding awareness.
Advances our individual connections with nature and an embodied relationship with the more-than-human world.
Foregrounds work by contemporary artists offering visions of the natural world that foster hope and motivate change.
Embeds interactivity and art making for all ages to engage participation, spark creativity and inspire joy.
Honors the museum’s historic natural history collection and legacy of natural scientific research.

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Meet the Learning & Community Engagement Team