Arts education is continually evolving and improving, bringing more accessibility to the arts for learners of all ages. I believe one of its biggest goals is to aid learners in discovering something they did not know about themselves. Implementing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) activities in the classroom can achieve this.

Advocating for STEAM is something I am passionate about because it can …

• reach students who may not typically be engaged in arts activities,
• help students discover a STEAM component that interests them, and
• foster creativity that carries over to other subjects.

What does STEAM look like in the art classroom? How exactly does art fit within STEM to make STEAM lessons?

STEAM does this by creating meaningful connections across disciplines to foster a foundation of creative thinking. It is essentially the intermingling of two subjects—for example, art and math—using one discipline to reinforce the learning of the other.

To teach both art and math together, teachers can reference Charles Sheeler’s The Upstairs (1938) in STEAM lessons. In this mysterious painting, the viewer’s eye is led to an open door revealing a shadowy staircase. Sheeler organized the painting with an underlying geometry defining linear shapes and contours. Teachers can challenge students to find and name as many geometric shapes as possible within the painting. They can also challenge students to use mathematics to begin the process of laying out proportions for an artwork, such as a drawing a grid.

If you want to host or participate in a STEAM lesson at the Cincinnati Art Museum, please visit our webpage and book a math and science tour! The following STEAM tours are available:

• Animals in Art
• Changes in Nature: Exploring Seasons and Weather
• Figure It Out: Ratio and Proportion
• Geometry in Art: Shapes, Angles, Lines and More!