Columbus youth and Columbus City Schools students and their caregivers receive free admission to CMA to renew their experience of wonder
COLUMBUS, Ohio – This summer the Columbus Museum of Art kicks off WonderPass, a free-admission program designed for Columbus-area young people and their caregivers to re-engage with the awe and wonder of creativity. The program launch is in response to an unprecedented year of disrupted learning and social disconnection. Funded by Battelle, WonderPass applies research-based engagement strategies to nurture K-12 students’ own sense of joy, meaning, possibility and maker empowerment through objects and experiences that foster discovery and innovative thinking.
“The Columbus Museum of Art has always been dedicated to cultivating imagination and curiosity,” said Nannette V. Maciejunes, CMA’s executive director. “With the learning loss that has impacted our region as a result of the pandemic, coupled with the typical summer slide, CMA looked to find a way to restore and support creative learning experiences that are so critical to the social-emotional development of young people.”
In addition to free admission throughout the summer to CMA, WonderPass includes guided close looking opportunities with museum educators, at-home creativity resources, late summer community days celebrating multidisciplinary creativity through the work of renowned Columbus artist Aminah Robinson, winter break maker days, spring break workshops and a reimagined Columbus City Schools Day for families.
Ideal community resources, museums cultivate a world of wonder, play and lifelong learning for young people and their families to share. WonderPass represents a path to kickstart imagination, play and social connection that has been disrupted during the pandemic. The goal is to increase the capacity and interest among young people to unlock and pursue their curiosity and to support such inquiry-based learning inside and outside of the museum space.
“Great community partners like the Columbus Museum of Art and Battelle continue to step up, come together, and support the students and families in Columbus City Schools. I appreciate this new partnership to provide experiential learning at the museum over the summer to all of our young people,” said Columbus City Schools Superintendent/CEO, Dr. Talisa Dixon. “When great learning institutions in our community find creative ways to open their doors to all of our families, they also open the doors of opportunity for our children in a way that can forever impact their lives and love for learning.”
WonderPass is made possible by a $75,000 grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program. Free summer youth admission and free admission for Columbus City Schools (CCS) families applies to general and special exhibition admission. Youth admission can be reserved in the normal way through the website, and adult caregivers of CCS students can enter the coupon code CCS2021 at checkout to waive their ticket costs.
The Columbus Museum of Art has been fortunate to benefit from Battelle’s STEM Grant Program over several years, supporting important programs that cultivate creative and critical thinking and lifelong learning. Instead of thinking of “STEM” as four subjects, Battelle sees it more universally as “Strategies That Engage Minds™” that lets students learn by doing, investigating concepts rather than memorizing fact. Funded programs help to increase opportunities for engaging students — particularly those who might otherwise not have the opportunities — to participate in STEM programming with a particular emphasis on out-of-school time.
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About Columbus Museum of Art
Columbus Museum of Art, located at 480 East Broad Street, creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and the Paul-Henri Bourguignon and Erika Bourguignon Fund for Visual Arts; Bette Wallach Fund for Columbus; and Richard G. and Mary Jo Seyler funds of The Columbus Foundation provide ongoing support.
CMA, Schokko Café and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. General admission is $18 for adults; $9 for seniors (60+), students (18+) and children 4 and older; free for members and children 3 and younger; $5 on Thursday evenings (5-9 p.m.). A separate admission fee of $8 applies for special exhibition, Raggin’ On: The Art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s House and Journals. General admission is free for all on Sundays. CMA charges a flat rate of $5 for parking in the Museum’s East Gay lot. CMA members park for free. For additional information, call 614.221.6801, visit www.columbusmuseum.org, or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @columbusmuseum.
Media Contact: Betsy Meacham, 614.629.0328, betsy.meacham@cmaohio.org.
