Beyond the Residency: Integrating Teaching Artists into Cultural Programming

Introduction

Cultural institutions across the country are increasingly turning to teaching artists to deliver high-quality, engaging educational experiences for visitors of all ages. While teaching artists are often associated with school residencies, their potential impact extends far beyond those settings. When intentionally incorporated into public programming, whether for children, families, older adults, or general audiences, teaching artists can become powerful catalysts for creativity, connection, and cultural access.

This post explores how institutions can go beyond traditional residency models to meaningfully integrate teaching artists into broader educational and engagement strategies.

Who Are Teaching Artists, and What Makes Them Different?

A teaching artist is a practicing professional artist who also has the skills and experience to engage individuals in learning through art. They can be painters, musicians, dancers, actors, poets, digital media creators; anyone whose artistic practice is paired with a commitment to education.

They are not the same as K–12 art teachers or even museum educators. Several distinctions matter:

• Dual Expertise: Teaching artists live in two worlds; they are artists and educators. They bring firsthand insight into creative processes, tools, and current artistic trends.

• Experiential Learning: Their teaching is often inquiry-driven and emphasizes exploration and self-expression rather than predefined outcomes.

• Audience Agility: Teaching artists are skilled at engaging diverse learners in non-traditional environments, from museums and libraries to community festivals and senior centers.

• Professional Identity: While teachers may be embedded within systems, teaching artists are often contractors, collaborators, or freelancers, with more fluid institutional relationships.

This dual identity means institutions must approach their inclusion with clarity and intention.

Why Use Teaching Artists in Public Programming?

Public programming can benefit immensely from teaching artists when:

• Audience engagement is a goal: Teaching artists excel at participatory, hands-on experiences that invite audiences to co-create meaning.

• Diverse communities are being served: Teaching artists often reflect and connect with communities in ways traditional staff may not.

• Programming requires artistic authenticity: Teaching artists bring the depth and relevance of lived creative practice to each session.

For example:

• At a museum family day, a sculptor might lead an open studio where children use recycled materials to build abstract forms, mirroring the artist’s own process.

• A poet might guide older adults through memory-based storytelling workshops that culminate in a public reading.

• A muralist might engage the broader community in creating a collaborative piece tied to a local theme or historic event.

These are not side events; they are high-impact learning experiences that shape how the public interacts with your institution.

How to Integrate Teaching Artists into Your Programs

Here’s how to move beyond the occasional residency and toward a strategic integration model:

1. Involve Them Early in Planning

Too often, teaching artists are brought in to “deliver” a pre-conceived or pre-designed experience. But their insights are most valuable before the structure is set.

Invite them to:

• Co-design program goals

• Help define learning outcomes

• Shape the pacing and tone of engagement

This results in programming that is artistically authentic and pedagogically rich.

2. Offer Orientation and Support

Because teaching artists are known for their flexibility, institutions may take an approach of “Just open the doors on the day of the event and let them work their magic.” But even experienced teaching artists benefit from:

• An institutional onboarding (audience demographics, mission, tone, accessibility practices)

• Orientation to the space, materials, and staff expectations

• Clear channels for feedback and collaboration

Consider offering light professional development around specific skills.

3. Ensure Equity in Pay and Representation

Teaching artists are often underpaid and under-credited. When applying for sponsorship or grant funding, institutions may only think about the public events. Ensure compensation reflects:

• Preparation time

• Administrative time (e.g., documentation or post-program reflection)

• Artistic labor

Also consider showcasing their work in your space or materials, inviting them to broader institutional conversations, and fostering long-term partnerships.

4. Tailor Programs to Specific Audiences

Children & Families
Using creative play, storytelling, and multi-sensory approaches, teaching artists can transform museum spaces into art labs where kids and caregivers co-create.

Older Adults
Focus on reflective storytelling, movement for wellness, or memory-based projects. This audience thrives on connection and meaning-making, areas where teaching artists shine. They also love the behind-the-scenes stories that make an institution work, so this is an ideal space for collaboration between teaching artists and cultural institution staff.

General Public
Offer drop-in sessions during open hours, artist-led tours with creative prompts, or workshops that connect current exhibits with personal expression.

These types of programs foster deeper learning and a stronger sense of connection between audience and institution. One note of caution: sometimes we have a tendency to pigeonhole a teaching artist into only one type of audience, especially if an initial experience is deemed successful. Consider the possibility that a teaching artist’s work may apply to other audiences as well. If you decide to scale a program, this is not simply a “rinse an repeat” - you will need to consider the needs of the new audience.

Evaluation and Impact

Don’t underestimate the value of including teaching artists in program reflection and evaluation. They can:

• Provide insights into participant engagement

• Reflect on what artistic choices supported learning

• Help revise program structure for future iterations

Of course, this assumes you are already planning to implement a rigorous, valid, and multiple-measure evaluation framework. Further information on designing a program evaluation may be found here: https://www.hb3education.com/blog/evaluation

Use both qualitative and quantitative tools: surveys, interviews, observational notes, and even creative reflections.

Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

It’s easy to treat teaching artists as a moment of spectacle - great for engagement photos to publicize on social media but fleeting and disconnected from deeper learning goals. However, they’re most powerful when woven into the fabric of a cultural institution’s educational approach. Some common errors include:

• Under-defining the Role: If the teaching artist’s role isn’t clearly outlined, expectations may misalign. Provide written scopes of work and discuss mutual goals.

• Over-scripted Programming: Avoid treating teaching artists as “delivery vehicles.” Their work is strongest when it incorporates flexibility and creative choice.

• Ignoring Institutional Fit: Not every teaching artist is right for every setting. Consider audience, tone, and content expertise when selecting partners.

• Lack of Feedback Loops: Teaching artists should be part of post-program debriefs, not just performers who pack up and leave. Measuring participant satisfaction is nice, but gathering a wide range of input will give programs life beyond the one experience.

Conclusion

Teaching artists are more than one-off workshop facilitators; they are partners in your institution’s educational mission. By embracing their dual expertise, supporting their integration into programs, and respecting their artistic voice, cultural organizations can unlock deeper, more dynamic learning experiences for all.

From libraries to museums, from concert halls to gardens, institutions that embed teaching artists into their long-term engagement strategy position themselves as spaces of relevance, creativity, and connection.

Further Reading

Booth, E. (2003). Seeking definition: What is a teaching artist? Teaching Artist Journal, 11(1), 5 – 12.

Rabkin, N., & Hedberg, E. C. (2011). Arts Education in America: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation. National Endowment for the Arts. https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2008-SPPA-ArtsLearning.pdf

Seidel, S. (2001). The qualities of quality: Understanding excellence in arts education. Harvard Graduate School of Education Project Zero. https://wallacefoundation.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/understanding-excellence-in-arts-education.doi_.10.59656%252FA-YA0926.001.pdf

Walker, E. (2013). Teaching artists and the future of education: A report from the teaching artist research project. NORC at the University of Chicago. https://www.giarts.org/sites/default/files/Teaching-Artists-and-the-Future-of-Education.pdf