7th Grade 2025 Museum Curation
Come see our show! 7th graders spent time with experts from University of Michigan and at the Charles H. Wright museum to help better understand what it takes to create a powerful museum exhibit. For their third module they explored the music, poetry, playwriting, and all arts of the Harlem Renaissance. They dug deep into One Last Word by famous poet Nikki Grimes to better understand themes, techniques, and author’s voice before taking on the challenge of writing their own. More than reading and listening to the art from the Harlem Renaissance, the 7th graders also got hands-on experiences with experts.
We first met with Deirdre L.C. Hennebury, head of the Museum Studies Program at University of Michigan. She visited our classroom and used textiles, nature photos, and labels to help the 7th graders curate a small collection of art. They made decisions on spacing, color patterns, big ideas, and audience to accomplish a miniature museum exhibit. With the help of Dr. Hennebury, the students left with a better idea of how to arrange the work they were then going to create and choose from artists during the Harlem Renaissance.
After the expert visit, the 7th graders got to travel to the Charles H. Wright Museum in Downtown Detroit. As a class we got to take note of what made the museum exhibit successful, what aspects we could add to our own museum, and got to experience an in depth history of African American stories. From our museum visit it became more clear what labels and spacing might make the most sense to enhance a visitor's experience. In addition, our tour guide brought an energized and knowledgeable conversation through the museum.
With the help of the Charles H. Wright Museum and Dr. Hennebury, the 7th graders created an exhibit that told a powerful story. Remaining true to who you are, embracing your past, using song and art to express yourself, and the power of Black Excellence were all themes the 7th graders showcased with art and poetry. They proved themselves as powerful museum curators!
