On October 23rd, AP Art and Design students embarked on their first field experience as a part of this year’s Contemporary Arts Center School Outreach Program. The CAC SOP offers students from grades 2 through 12 a comprehensive, immersive experience with contemporary art. Running from September through May, this year-long program includes an in-school orientation, guided tours of CAC exhibitions, a classroom project tied to the exhibition led by a local artist, and a spring visit to an artist’s studio. Program docents work with the same class throughout the year, fostering continuity and rapport with the students.

During the tour, students engaged with two different exhibitions.

Seremoni Disparisyon (Ritual [Dis]Appearance) is Widline Cadet’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States. Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum and curated by Kristen Gaylord, the exhibition explores Black diasporic life through Cadet’s personal experiences immigrating from Haiti, examining family, memory, loss, resilience, and belonging. Through photographs, ceramics, video, murals, and multimedia installations, Cadet creates a “living archive” documenting three generations of her family and the connections that endure across time and distance.

In the Interest of Time features seven artists connected to Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky who explore how photography captures and shapes our understanding of time, memory, history, and truth. Through family photographs, changing landscapes, historical archives, geological processes, and personal narratives, the artists challenge the idea that a photograph represents a single moment. Curated by Theresa Bembnister, the exhibition is a Featured Exhibition of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, The Long View, which explores how photography and film shape our perceptions of time and perspective.

The students wrapped up their visit exploring the 6th floor Creativity Center + UnMuseum where the could interact with a wide range of materials and space while exploring additional exhibitions by artists.