“What I really love is that the residency opened students up to a new mode of expression that they probably had not explored since childhood…I think it showed them in a very explicit way that art is meaningful and an incredibly important form of expression and activism. It was my first partnership with the Armory and I truly hope not the last.”
Collaborating Classroom Teacher from International High School at Prospect Heights

Building on the experience of production-based workshops, the Armory works closely with the teachers and administrators at each partner school to design a range of experiences that support and address each school's specific curricular and community goals, connecting the artistic resources of the Armory to the needs of each individual school.

Partner School students delve into the creative process through ongoing exposure to unconventional art, exploration of the Armory's mission through interactive Introduction to the Building workshops, and in-depth residencies that provide tangible connections to their classroom studies through a variety of art forms. Students are empowered as thoughtful creators and consumers of art through hands-on projects and exchanges with artists, strengthening their innovation and critical thinking skills while supporting their social-emotional development. They have unique access to Armory artists during all stages of the creative process, from Artists-in-Residence who are in the early stages of new work, to seeing an idea fully realized in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall or historic period rooms. Through conversations and workshops with artists, students experience art and personal meaning being created through a cycle of inspiration, research, critique, trial and error, and persistence.

Current Partner Schools

The creative communities of our Partner Schools are celebrated in a variety of tailored ways throughout the school year, including an annual event at the Armory where parents, teachers, and the entire school communities are invited to engage with the process and culmination of residencies and other artistic projects.

Photo: Da Ping Luo