In December 2024, Piedmont Arts brought educational outreach programs to more than 1,300 students in the Martinsville area, enriching their learning experiences through music, poetry, and the arts.
Engaging Students Through Music and Poetry
Piedmont Arts hosted five educational outreach programs, including a performance by Brass 5 titled “Why Music?” for 890 students at Patrick Henry and Meadow View elementary schools on December 3. The quintet played Christmas-themed songs, including a musical rendition of “The Night Before Christmas,” and led students in a holiday sing-along. This year, Brass 5 performed for students at six schools in Martinsville and Henry County, reaching a total of 1,940 students.
Preschoolers from Happy Feet Early Learning and Child Center in Martinsville helped decorate the museum’s Christmas tree on December 3, with assistance from Mr. and Mrs. Claus, played by Gale Buck and his wife Christy. The children also enjoyed cookies and hot chocolate with Santa.
Roscoe Burnems, the first poet laureate of Richmond, Va., led poetry workshops for seventh and ninth-grade students from December 9-12 in Martinsville City Public Schools. Burnems taught students the components of poetry and encouraged them to write pieces with deep personal meaning. The students shared their work at a poetry showcase on December 12 at New College Institute.
Festive Events and Cultural Experiences
On December 12, Gale Buck, dressed as Santa, entertained 170 preschoolers with Christmas stories at Preschool in the Galleries. The Smith River Singers performed Christmas songs and led the children in a sing-along.
Fourth-grade students from Albert Harris, Axton, Carver, and Patrick Henry elementary schools took a field trip to see a performance of “The Nutcracker” by Southwest Virginia Ballet on December 13 in Roanoke, Va. Over 240 students experienced the famed holiday ballet. This trip was made possible through a partnership between Southwest Virginia Ballet and Piedmont Arts.
Piedmont Arts’ educational outreach programs are presented free of charge to students and schools, reaching more than 5,000 students annually. To make a donation to the museum’s Kay Smith Education Fund, click here.
For more information on educational outreach, exhibits, and events, click here.