The Kleefeld Contemporary provides multiple opportunities for visitors of all ages to engage with art through tours of current exhibitions and campus sculpture, special programs, and other resources. Our goal is to promote a nuanced interpretation of museum exhibitions and collections, and provide an opportunity for students and the public to deepen their understanding of the complex role art plays in culture.
University Students
The Kleefeld Contemporary provides free membership for all Cal State Long Beach students. As an organization that supports cross-disciplinary and diverse programming, we welcome student engagement from all academic programs.
The museum is currently supporting campus students to found a new ASI Student Association that will give students opportunities to become involved in student events and campus outreach, including the development of a student museum night at the Kleefeld Contemporary.
Professor and Campus Programs
We welcome collaborative opportunities for professors to utilize our exhibitions and galleries to create interdisciplinary programs, panels, workshops, and tours for students, faculty and staff. Let us work with you to connect our exhibitions to your curriculum and make the Kleefeld Contemporary a place of learning and enrichment for your students.
The Kleefeld Contemporary works directly with the School of Art, faculty and students in the Museum Studies Program. The program has a longstanding and distinguished history, and is one of the earliest museum studies programs in the state.
The Kleefeld Contemporary also welcomes opportunities to provide visits, tours and collaboration with the many campus programs at Cal State Long Beach, including children’s camps and visiting students.
K-12 Programs
The Kleefeld Contemporary offers docent-led tours of current exhibitions and campus sculpture for K-12 classrooms. All tours are free of charge and can be adapted to classroom curriculum and schedule. To aid in planning for your tour, please visit the Current Exhibition and Campus Sculpture information on this website for introductory information. Be sure to include at least one adult chaperone for every 15 students. Please review museum etiquette with your students to help protect the art for all to enjoy.
Plugged-In: Classroom Connections Program
Kleefeld Contemporary Education has developed the Plugged-In: Classroom Connections Program for 4th grade students to align with State and National Standard in the areas of visual arts, social studies, language arts and mathematics, and the curriculum is developed to align with Common Core standards. This five-part program introduces students to current exhibitions, elements and principles of art, and contextual background, while connecting to 4th grade subject matter. Students are introduced to the current artist(s) and exhibition(s) and create related studio art projects that encourage critical thinking, awareness of being a responsible citizen, and collaborative process skills. The program also includes a field trip to the Kleefeld Contemporary where students tour the museum, participate in activities to increase engagement with the exhibition, and experience the dynamic environment of the Cal State Long Beach campus.
Fall 2018 Plugged-In Classroom Connections Program
Students will explore cultural identity and equity through the artwork of four iconic women of color from the Kleefeld Contemporary collection: Graciela Iturbide, Maren Hassinger, Lorna Simpson and Rita Letendre. The curriculum includes four lessons taught in the classroom, where students gain hands-on skills in charcoal drawing, photocollage, papier mâché sculpting, and watercolor painting, as they create artwork that reflects their own cultural identity and individuality. The program will culminate in a fieldtrip to the UAM where students will view artwork selected from the collection in a salon setting meant to develop critical thinking skills.
Check out a preview of our program here.
Lesson Plan: Compelling Visions by Women of Color
Plugged-In Classroom Collections Program is made possible by generous grants from the The Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation, Arts Council for Long Beach and the Bess Hodges Foundation.