AMERICA’S FIELD TRIP:
VIRTUAL ARTIST RESIDENCIES
Presented by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Focus 5, “America’s Field Trip: Virtual Artist Residencies” invites classes across the United States into a free, three-day virtual creative experience celebrating America’s 250th anniversary through the arts.
Led by accomplished artists from across the country and grounded in the Crystal Bridges collection, these virtual residencies blend art, history, STEM, and hands-on making to help students explore our nation’s story and see their own place within it. Each residency has been developed with state-aligned curriculum standards in mind and can be tailored by our teaching artists across age groups and disciplines.
Residency Format & Registration Information
WHEN:
Register between January–December 2026
FORMAT:
Each residency is three sessions and hosted on Zoom.
- Sessions are typically 60 minutes (K–2 sessions may be 45 minutes)
- Sessions take place within one school week (M–T–W, T–W–Th, W–Th–F, or M–W–F)
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS:
-
Minimum of 4 classes per school, within the same grade band (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12)
-
Schools that don’t have 3-4 classes will be paired with another school.
-
A 30-minute orientation meeting with all participating teachers will take place prior to the residency to discuss logistics and details.
COST:
Free
REGISTRATION:
Schools select their top three residency choices using a single registration link.
HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED HELP?
Email Melanie Rick @ Melanie.Focus5@gmail.com
Residency Offerings by Art Form and Grade Band
Storytelling K-2
Tiny Toy Tales: Big Symbols – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades K–2 led by Kassie Misiewicz
REGISTER HERE
Drama 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
American Stories in Action: Dialogue and Drama Through Art – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12 led by Maria Schaedler-Luera
REGISTER HERE
Seeing with Stillness: Theatre Encounters with American Art– Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12 led by Maria Schaedler-Luera
REGISTER HERE
Music K-1 / 2-3
Looking for America: A Song of the Land – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades K–1 or 2-3 led by Sam Tidwell
REGISTER HERE
Music 3-5
Painting America’s Blues: Jacob Lawrence in Story and Song – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 led by Imani Gonzalez
REGISTER HERE
National Ballad: The Pros and Cons of Industrialization – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 led by Sam Tidwell
REGISTER HERE
Visual Literacy K-2
Lines and Shapes: Exploring Geometry Through Art – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades K–2 led by Melanie Rick
REGISTER HERE
Visual Literacy 3-5 / 6-8
From Art to Argument: Using Visual Literacy to Strengthen Writing – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 led by Paige Whelan
REGISTER HERE
Visual Art 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
Heros & Hidden Figures – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12 led by Garrett Brown
REGISTER HERE
Pivital Panels: Moments that Mattered in U.S. History – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12 led by Garrett Brown
REGISTER HERE
Drawing with Scissors: Portraits of the People – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12 led by Kay Thomas
REGISTER HERE
Sculpting America: Paper Sculpture – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12 led by Kay Thomas
REGISTER HERE
We The People: Folded Into One– Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 led by Kuniko Yamamoto
REGISTER HERE
Dance K-2
We the People Move: Art, Rhythm, and Community – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades K-2 led by Lorena Cervantez
REGISTER HERE
Dance 3-5
Warhol’s Wild Adaptations – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 led by Harlan Brownlee
REGISTER HERE
We are the Story: Moving Through America’s Past, Present & Future – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 led by Jessica McHugh
REGISTER HERE
Body Percussion 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
United Sounds of America: Pollock and Percussion – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12 led by Jason Nious
REGISTER HERE
Shadow Puppetry 3-5 / 6-8
History’s Judgment: The Legacy of George Washington in Light and Shadow – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 led by Daniel Barash
REGISTER HERE
The Eagle Illuminated: America’s Symbol in Shadow Puppetry – Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 led by Daniel Barash
REGISTER HERE
Podcasting 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
Still Becoming: America in Art & Audio– Virtual Artist Residency for Grades 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12 led by Ryan Conaro
REGISTER HERE
Ready to bring and America’s Field Trip to your students?