Learning Lab School
PS: A Learning Lab School
what does that mean?
Presbyterian School’s proximity to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) has its benefits. We are grateful to share an extended campus with the museum. As an MFAH Learning Lab School Presbyterian School shares unlimited, complimentary access to the three state-of-the-art MFAH buildings. Students, beginning in Early Childhood, walk outside our doors and into the hallowed halls of the MFAH with just a few steps. PS faculty embrace the museum’s resources, both their art and personnel, to enhance and bring to life what they are teaching in their classrooms. Time in the museum builds the critical and creative thinking skills our teachers want students to employ every day. MFAH faculty who serve as PS fine arts community teachers bring fresh insight and vision to our school.
Watch the short video below on how we utilize the museum and its objects to strengthen the academic skills needed in the classroom. Through our partnership with the MFAH, our students have gained new confidence and ways to observe, analyze, and speak, not only about art, but also about literature, science, history, and math.
Opportunities at Glassell
learning how to showcase works of art
Through our partnership with MFAH, 4th grade students have a unique opportunity each year to undertake an extensive project in the Spring to install and display a month-long art show featuring our middle school and faculty art at the MFAH's Glassell School of Art. Students learn from the Glassell School of Art faculty about the principles of installing an art exhibit by attending an Art of Installation workshop. With over 100,000 square feet, the Glassell School has an extensive blank canvas for art to display. This workshop gives fourth graders knowledge of the elements of installation and the experience of grouping, measuring and hanging art. For many students, this is their first time to consider how size, color, style and space integrate throughout the creative process of museum installation.
4th grade students are proud of their contribution to exhibit middle school student artwork. The middle school art exhibit is the work of many different art classes from every 6th grader, all of whom take art, to the 7th and 8th grade electives Sculpture I & II, Old School Drawing, Digital Illustration, Mixed Media and special topics in art such as Assemblage & Collage, Human Figure Drawing, Color Theory, Painting, or Scientific Illustration. Biannually, the exhibit includes exhibited works by PS faculty and staff.