Moving in the Spirit’s youth ambassadors premiered a new work, Grief Migration: A Spiritual Invitation, as part of the High Museum of Art’s Juneteenth activities. Through programs that integrate high-quality dance instruction with performance, leadership, and mentor opportunities, Moving in the Spirit impacts 250 children and teens annually in Atlanta, encouraging them to overcome the obstacles they face each day and realize their highest potential. The month prior to their performance, a High Museum teaching artist facilitated a workshop at Moving in the Spirit’s “Journey on the A Train: A Jacob Lawrence Story” event. 

Using the Anne Cox Chambers Wing Lobby as an incubator, dancers and choreographers practice their art, offering viewers behind-the-scenes insights into the dance process. The High has partnered with glo, ImmerseATL Collective, staibdance, Full Radius Dance, and Dance Canvas for the series, and in hopes of expanding the program, has recently opened a form for interested parties to apply. 

AileyCamp Atlanta is an innovative, full-scholarship dance program helping middle schoolers reach their full potential. They presented a sneak preview of their upcoming final performance during the High’s July First Saturday. AileyCamp Atlanta’s six-week summer program focuses on developing self-esteem, creative expression, and critical–thinking skills while engaging with various dance techniques, including ballet, Horton-based modern, jazz, and West African dance. 

The Mayor’s Summer Reading Club (MSRC) annually announces a citywide book choice for infants and children ages two to five to share with their families. They distribute copies of the books at no cost to children and encourage schools and early education programs to introduce the books and distribute them to the children they serve. During July’s UPS Second Sunday, the High hosted one of MSRC’s “book club reads” for children and families in the Anne Cox Chambers Wing Lobby. 

Project Healthy Grandparents and Project GRANDD (Grandparents Raising and Nurturing Dependents with Disabilities) joined the High for Family Fun Day in June. Project Healthy Grandparents and Project GRANDD provide comprehensive health and support services and improved access to community resources for grandparent caregivers. 

The High hosted its first Sensory–Friendly Evening in [month]. The program was developed collaboratively with the Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy (IDEAL) Program at Georgia State University, an inclusive postsecondary program for students with mild intellectual disabilities, and Quiet Queers, a social group that centers BIPOC queers seeking low-stimulating, accessible social events in Atlanta. Adults of all ages who identify as disabled or neurodivergent are welcome to join along with their friends and families. 

One Photo at a Time is an archival workshop that will engage visitors in documenting, preserving, and archiving one’s personal memories and history through photography. The workshop will focus on communal sharing, memory recollection, and storytelling to further imagine a world where narratives, whole or fragmented, are accessible and looked after with care. Participants will receive a toolkit with equipment and materials to process a photograph on-site at the High and four additional photographs in their homes. Photos made on-site will be printed from smartphone devices, using Polaroid’s Lab Printers, and placed in photo sleeves. 

The Latin American Association (LAA) empowers Latinos to adapt, integrate, and thrive. The High partnered with the LAA to host Coffee Hour, an immersive experience centered on a particular topic for guests to practice English and Spanish. November’s Coffee Hour was LAA’s first Coffee Hour at the High. The event was held in the Anne Cox Chambers Wing and included a tour of the exhibition Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature. We welcomed over eighty participants, many who were first-time guests to the museum. 

Project Healthy Grandparents (PHG) was founded at Georgia State University in 1995 and is housed within the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions. With a mission to improve the health and well-being of families in which grandparents are raising their grandchildren in parent-absent homes, PHG provides comprehensive health and support services and improved access to community resources. The High has collaborated with PHG since 2021 to provide meaningful art engagement programs for grandparents and their grandchildren, including studio art classes, family fun days, and support group workshops. Such programs provide an opportunity for reflection, self-expression, respite, and social connection.   

For more than thirty years, Senior Services North Fulton (SSNF) has been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate senior hunger and provide additional care and support to the region’s growing population of older adults. In addition to the Meals on Wheels program, SSNF provides transportation to medical appointments and quality–of–life trips for homebound seniors and operates seven senior centers that enrich the lives of hundreds of local seniors each week. Since 2021, the High has offered off–site studio workshops to five North Fulton senior centers. Each month, High Museum of Art teaching artists facilitate art–making projects inspired by works on view in the museum’s galleries. These programs promote social engagement, creativity, and enjoyment among this audience.  

On October 8, 2023, Little Amal, a twelve-foot puppet of a Syrian refugee girl, visited the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. On the Sifly Piazza, the High’s Teen Team joined the Alliance Theatre’s Teen Ensemble to welcome Amal with a special performance. We Have a Dream was presented by the Alliance Theatre and the High Museum of Art, in partnership with the Global Village Project and Refuge Coffee Co. Amal Walks Across America is produced by The Walk Productions in association with Handspring Puppet Company. 

ARTS InCommunity partners with arts and cultural communities to provide individuals with diverse abilities access and inclusion in their communities through the arts. Although most of the organizations that visit the High through ARTS InCommunity use self-guided visits, a few groups, including school groups, are designated for facilitated tours. The High is proud to have docents specifically trained to offer tours to youth with developmental disabilities, and these docents currently lead select ARTS InCommunity tours.  

The mission of Tapestry Public Charter School is to offer an inclusive, individualized learning environment that is academically engaging, both for neurotypical students and those on the autism spectrum, and to create a positive school culture that empowers all students to take possession of their innate talents and become creative builders of their futures. The High partnered with Tapestry for the 2023–2024 school year as part of our work with the Kennedy Center VSA: Museum Access for Kids Program. We have been working with faculty at Tapestry to provide training to our staff for how to best provide educational programming for students with disabilities. Next year, we will welcome each grade level to visit the museum and receive a tour and workshop that promotes accessible art experiences.