Connecting the Dots: Education at MoNA — A Peek into Curating the Creative Constellations Exhibition

The MoNA Education team has been working on an exciting upcoming exhibition called Creative Constellations, which will showcase MoNA’s expansive Youth Education Programs. Visitors are invited to come and explore this creative display, which will be on exhibition in the Outside In Gallery, MoNA’s community education space, from June 20 through September 20, 2026.

The exhibition is made possible by supporters of MoNA’s Education programs and will illuminate visitors on the myriad of ways youth, educators, and communities can participate in MoNA programs and art education. We encourage viewers to participate in the collaborative cosmos project to express their own unique place in MoNA's fantastic formation of artistic community!

Teen Art Club working on paintings for the Void the Stars Teen Takeover. Photo Credit: Alan Smith

The process of curating this exhibition is a multifaceted microcosm of the greater MoNA arts community: teeming with collaboration, connection, and creativity. The idea itself stems from preliminary conversations with MoNA’s Education Committee. This committee consists of nine public members, is chaired by a MoNA Trustee, and includes MoNA Link alumni who represent a range of districts, as well as passionate community members. The individuals on the committee support the Education Department in building partnerships that increase access to arts and cultural learning in the communities we serve, and their fabulous ideas are as sparkling as shooting stars, many of which generated the title and initial plan for Creative Constellations.

Howard Shapiro facilitating a session of Early Enrichment in MoNA’s Art Studio.

Another co-curator of this exhibition is Howard Shapiro, a MoNA Link alum and longtime volunteer who supports MoNA’s Early Enrichment program for MoNA’s youngest artists. Early Enrichment is a free weekly program offering art, stories, and sensory experiences for parents/caregivers and children ages 2–5 years old. Howard introduces the exhibition in his own words: 

“It is vitally important how we frame our understanding of the youth programs at MoNA. Knowing that children as young as two and up to eighteen years old are offered opportunities to experience and learn about far more than the work in the galleries may come as a surprise. In fact, youth programs at MoNA represent a vast universe of possibilities. This universe is made up of the youthful stars that are children and students from near and far who participate in gallery walks, discussions, and studio projects here at MoNA. Whether it is a school program, teen program, or Early Enrichment — the artful universe is expansive.” 

Creative Connections Teaching Artists Lauren Grund (L) and Don Wesley (R) with their Salmon Art Project lesson presentation.

MoNA Staff also had the privilege of collaborating with Teaching Artists Lauren Grund and Don Wesley, as well as a current MoNA Link teacher, Nikki Klinger, to demonstrate how the Creative Connections program sparkles across classrooms in the region. Creative Connections is MoNA’s newest Education program, connecting MoNA Link program alumni to teaching artists to give arts instruction in the classroom. Nikki worked with Lauren, Don, and Kayla Williams, another Creative Connections Teaching Artist, to facilitate a school-wide project, which invited 400+ Little Mountain Elementary students to paint a salmon. These painted salmon were arranged by color and installed at the school to create a display of student work that connects science, community, and art! You’ll see a portion of this cosmic collaboration and learn more in Creative Constellations.

Educator Nikki Klinger (L) and Creative Connections Teaching Artist Lauren Grund (R) show one of the panels of fish that were created for the project.

The finished panels on display at Little Mountain Elementary. 

Teen Art Club create outer space paintings for Void the Stars.

Perhaps the most in-depth example of the collaborative effort going into this exhibition comes from MoNA’s Teen Art Club, which is a group of 6th–12th graders with major plans to dazzle you with their takeover of the interactive Expression Exchange area.

Through weekly sessions over the school year, the teens have been working diligently with the help of Teaching Artists to transform this area into an interstellar exploration of the galaxy in an exhibition they’ve titled Void the Stars. The Teen Leads, a group of students within the club who take on extra responsibilities and will curate Void the Stars, came up with the theme of “space” that has inspired the MoNA Education team to incorporate throughout the rest of Creative Constellations. 

Early Enrichment participants create stellar artwork with chalk pastels.

We look forward to seeing you in June for the opening of this exhibition celebrating MoNA’s Youth Education Programs and the myriad ways they are collaboratively interwoven with our community to create a vibrant network connecting people of all ages with various art forms, teaching artists, and ideas! It will truly be out-of-this-world! 

Written by Ellie Cross, Director of Education and Dillyn Adamo, Learning & Engagement Coordinator

Learn more about this exhibition coming to MoNA’s Outside In Gallery!