Developed by BHC as part of the Sugar Hill Project, Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling (SHCMAS) was conceived as a stimulating space for neighborhood families to gather and share in cultural programs as well as a setting to actively address the educational needs of the community's youngest children, where they would not only see art and talk about art, but share their own stories and make art from them. Through transformational experiences in art and storytelling, Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling seeks to foster the creative intelligence and cognitive skills that prepare children for social and academic success; positively impacting the outlook for their future, and the future of their community.
SHCMAS Expands on BHC’s Legacy By Blending Art + Education + Community
Photo by Michael Palma Mir
SHCMAS provides our culturally rich neighborhood with a space where children and their families grow and learn about Sugar Hill, and about the world at large, through intergenerational dialogue with artists, art and storytelling.
Designed to nurture the curiosity and creative spirit of three- to eight-year-old children, the Museum provides opportunities to grow as both author and audience, as children engage with the work of accomplished artists and storytellers, and create and share their own.
Photo by Michael Palma Mir
Facilitating Access to Art
SHCMAS gives children access to art, artists, and different art forms, as a way to enhance and encourage creative thinking. Designed for young children and their families, the museum showcases a range of art that is accessible and thought-provoking, from historically significant to important contemporary works; and offers children the chance to engage with working artists and to explore and experiment in well-equipped art-making facilities.
As SHCMAS continues to adapt to the realities of COVID-19, we are pleased to announce that virtual programing will be available on the Museum’s website.
Photo by Michael Palma Mir
Mixing Art & Education through our Artist in Residence Program
SHCMAS hosts an annual artist in residence for artists who are committed to social engagement through their artistic practice and to working with the Museum’s primary audience of 3- to 8-year-old children. The program reflects our approach to engaging children by creating the means for them to connect with artists directly as they ask questions and discover their own artistic ideas. Children and adults will have opportunities to observe and explore the creative process with the artist as their guide. Learn more about our recent artist in residents below.
Photo by Michael Palma Mir
Building Community Through Storytelling
As the oldest and most powerful means for sharing history and values, and for encouraging imagination in young children, storytelling is one of the pillars of learning at SHCMAS.
Performed through a variety of methods, our storytellers engage children in the timeless oral tradition as well as through the arts of theater, movement, music and film. Children are encouraged to reflect on what they hear, and to author and share their own stories—a practice that builds language skills, critical thinking and confidence.