MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 30, 2026) — Piedmont Arts brought seven educational outreach programs to the museum and local schools in March. The programs served more than 750 students in Martinsville-Henry County.
Piedmont Arts and Charity League of Martinsville and Henry County hosted a reception for students with work on display in the Foster Gallery on March 10. The exhibit featured work by students attending Campbell Court, Carlisle, Drewry Mason, and Rich Acres elementary schools.
The Foster Gallery is an important part of Piedmont Arts’ community programming. Exhibits in the gallery have been curated in partnership with Charity League for more than 25 years. A new exhibit is installed every six to eight weeks to allow work by students from all 19 schools in Martinsville-Henry County to be displayed during the year.
Preschool in the Galleries hit a high note with performances by the Martinsville High School Jazz Band on March 18 and Carlisle School’s Zip Zap Zop Theater Company on March 24. More than 170 pre-K students bopped along to music by the Jazz Band and enjoyed a play about spring by Zip Zap Zop.
Preschool in the Galleries is a series of programs designed to foster a love of the performing and visual arts in young children. The programs are free of charge to students and schools and feature performances presented by local organizations and school groups. A full schedule of events is available here.
Members of Piedmont Arts’ Teen Arts Council completed a mosaic workshop on March 19. They worked with artist Susan Biscay-Hopkins to create a mosaic sign of their own design. Miss Commonwealth Victoria Howard joined the group during the workshop to talk about the students’ college plans and the importance of getting involved in community activities.
Teen Arts Council is open to high school students with an interest in the arts. The group meets monthly at Piedmont Arts. The next meeting will take place from 6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, April 16. Students interested in joining Teen Arts Council can find more information here.
Around 150 art students from Magna Vista High School toured the galleries on March 19. Led by art teachers Kristina Weldin and Kristin Riddle, they explored the works on display in the American Watercolor Society exhibit, discussing the artists' colors, textures, and techniques. Eight students from Heritage High Homeschool Co-op also enjoyed a tour of the galleries in March as part of their art appreciation curriculum.
Actor and playwright Mike Wiley performed “A Game Apart,” a one-person play about the life of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, at local schools on March 27. Nearly 400 students at Albert Harris and Patrick Henry elementary schools watched Wiley perform and were called upon to take part in the production. After the play, Wiley held a Q&A with students and teachers.
Wiley is a frequent performer at Piedmont Arts, where he has shared other plays focusing on historical Black figures, such as Emmett Till and Henry “Box” Brown, as well as the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education.
Piedmont Arts’ educational outreach programs are presented free of charge to students and schools. The museum reaches nearly 7,000 students each year through its programming.
To support the museum’s educational outreach initiatives, donations may be made to the Kay Smith Arts Education Fund.
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