Photo by Richard Hurd
Students Get Active and Artistic Through MMSD’s Summer Arts Programming
MADISON, Wis.—This summer, the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) partnered with eight Madison-based arts organizations to incorporate expanded arts programming into its regular summer semester curriculum. Nearly 30 guest artists and 12 MMSD teachers led instruction in visual arts, dance, theater, and other disciplines across elementary and middle school sites throughout the district.
These arts classes were integrated into students’ daily schedules and offered in multiple 45-minute blocks, ensuring all learners had the opportunity to explore and engage with each artistic discipline offered at their site.
The program, an evolution of the former Summer Arts Academy, exposed students to a wide range of creative disciplines. Participating artists included Francis Medrano, founder and lead teacher of Black Power Dance, whose high-energy sessions blended Afro-Peruvian dance with personal fitness, and Sarah Rhoads, who guided students through a comprehensive theater program focused on both performance and behind-the-scenes technical skills.
The diverse arts experiences offered through the summer semester aimed to keep students physically and creatively active during the summer months, while also building bridges to Madison’s broader artistic community and fostering empathy through exposure to perspectives beyond their own.
The effort is part of MMSD’s broader commitment to equitable access to arts education for all students. By partnering with local organizations and hiring professional artists who reflect the diversity of the community, MMSD aimed to help students see themselves in the arts and introduce them to creative paths they may not have encountered during the traditional school year. Whether experimenting with fiber arts, designing stage lighting or learning new styles of movement, students were encouraged to explore their identities and expand their imaginations.
“These experiences build confidence and curiosity,” said Dan Davidson, MMSD’s director of arts education. “They help students develop new skills, but also new ways of seeing the world and themselves in it.”
“There are so many organizations out there that really contribute to our community and the artistic cultures that we have throughout the city,” Davidson added. “And this really brings that artistic experience alive within our traditional summer school setting each and every day.”
The participating teachers and guest artists emphasized the connective power of art through their classes. “It’s about telling stories and empathy and being able to relate to experiences,” said Rhoads. “I think theater can be best described as a window or a door. You’re either looking into someone’s experience or really living something that’s similar to your own. I think now more than ever, we really need to come together in bridging these experiences—especially at a young age.”
For more regarding arts-related events happening across MMSD, please visit the Arts Events and Information page of the district’s website.
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About the Madison Metropolitan School District: The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.