The Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA), formerly the King School Museum of Contemporary Art,[1] is a contemporary art museum and a social practice art project at the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School, part of Portland Public Schools in Portland, Oregon.[2] KSMoCA was founded by artists and Portland State University professors Lisa Jarrett and Harrell Fletcher in 2014.[3] At KSMoCA, elementary school students interact with contemporary art and living artists on an everyday basis through exhibitions, workshops, lecture series, one-on-one mentorships, and other KSMoCA programs.[4][5] Students get an opportunity to learn how a real art museum functions from the inside and are encouraged to actively co-create its activities by participating in different initiatives within the museum.[6] Students create works with artists, curate exhibitions, organize art fairs, design posters, write press releases, etc.[7]
International Art Fair took place at KSMoCA in 2017.[8] KSMoCA has a permanent collection of contemporary art housed in the school's hallways and a gallery with rotating exhibitions curated by students.[9] In 2015, students curated Postcards from America, an exhibition featuring photographs from Magnum Photos.[10]
The Dr Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School is located in the King neighborhood, a historically African American neighborhood in Northeast Portland, and has a diverse student body with the third highest percentage of Black students among Portland public elementary schools.[11] To better reflect the diverse student community and provide students with positive images of professionals who come from similar diverse backgrounds, KSMoCA prioritizes working with artists of color.[12][13]
