Education
The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art offers a wide variety of programs for adults, children, and families including:
Art Bites: On the first Wednesday of every month our Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Julia Jessen or our Executive Director Sean Ulmer speaks about an aspect of one of the current exhibitions. This 30-45 minute presentation is free and includes free admission to all of the galleries.
Art Lovers Book Club: (in person) Our long-running book club selects books based on current exhibitions. Anyone can join at any time. It is held on the third Thursday of every month and is free. You can find a complete listing of upcoming books on the events tab.
One Night Stand with the CRMA via Zoom: ONE NIGHT STAND WITH THE CRMA One work of art. By one artist. For one night. One Night Stand with the CRMA is a free series of art talks on Zoom led by CRMA staff, local artists, or art scholars. By focusing each 20-minute program on one artwork, the audience engages in a conversation about the artist and how the selected work of art relates to their larger body of work.
Family Fun Day: Three times a year the Museum holds a Family Fun Day with activities for all ages to enjoy. You also have the opportunity to view all of the exhibitions for free.
Doodlebugs: Doodlebugs classes are held monthly at the Hiawatha Public Library, Marion Public Library, and the North Liberty Community Library. Each Doodlebugs class has a theme that relates to our exhibitions. We read a story and then do fun and sometimes messy art activity. Free. If you would like to arrange your own art-making class, please contact Erin Thomas at ethomas@crma.org.
Summer Camp: Each summer we have a week long summer camp based with a theme based on our exhibitions. Summer camp is for those students who have completed first grade through fifth grade.
SAVE THE DATE: Little Sprouts Camp 2027
June 10 & 11, 2027
10am to noon
This summer, children who are currently completing kindergarten and first grades are invited to our arty garden party for little sprouts. We’ve “pruned” our standard variety summer camp to grow this special cultivar for younger kids. We’ll create a garden full of flowers, trees, and the backyard critters who live there, all from a variety of media. Registration opens January 1, and space is limited so don’t wait!
$50 per child for both days; $45 for CRMA members.
SAVE THE DATE: Arty Garden Party (Summer Camp 2027)
June 28 – July 2, 2027
8:30am to noon
This summer, children who are currently completing grades 2-5 are invited to our arty garden party. We’ll focus on watercolor painting, but also explore several other media, as we cultivate a garden full of flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables, and the backyard critters who live there. Taking inspiration from our summer exhibition honoring the Cedar Rapids Garden Club’s 100th anniversary, we’ll also meet some green-thumbed experts. Registration opens January 1, and space is limited so don’t wait!
$200 per child, or 2 for $350. CRMA members get a $25 discount. Ask us about scholarships!
Tours: A wide variety of tours from school tours to group tours for various organizations and clubs are available throughout the year. If you are interested in arranging a tour, please contact Erin Thomas, Director of Education, at 319-366-7503 x203 or ethomas@crma.org.
The Museum's tour schedule is also robust. Each year, the CRMA offers approximately five tours or programs each week. For a full listing of our extensive educational offerings, please click here or visit the Events tab.
For a full listing of our extensive educational offerings, please click here or visit the Events tab.
