Resources
As a branch of the The Floyd County Library we support the growth and creativity of an engaged, informed, and connected community. Check out all of our educational programs and opportunities!
The Cultural Arts Center is excited to offer a customizable experience for children in grades Pre-K through 12. Schools, non-profits community organizations, and homeschool groups in Southern Indiana may choose from FREE on-site or off-site programs in both art and history. For more information or to schedule a program, contact Al Gorman at [email protected] or call 812-944-7336.
Additionally, the Cultural Arts Center is committed to serving the Floyd County and Southern Indiana community through outreach. To schedule a community outreach opportunity, please contact us at 812-944-7336 or [email protected]
As a public entity the Cultural Arts Center has designated entrances, restrooms, and elevator services that are compliant for accessibility following State and Federal ADA requirements.
Floyd County Library Special Collections
The Floyd County Library’s new Special Collections catalog includes the historic photographs collection, as well as artifacts, artwork, and archival collections located in the Indiana Room and Cultural Arts Center. Library staff are in the process of adding all Special Collections materials to this site; please check back regularly for added content. Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or (812) 949-3527.
Access a World of Knowledge with a Library Card
Use Hoopla and Libby to download and stream free movies, TV shows, music albums, audiobooks, eBooks, and comic books on your computer or mobile device.
Access over 15,000 online classes in graphic design, business, web development, and more to achieve your personal and professional goals with LinkedIn Learning.
Mango Languages offers over 40 foreign languages to explore, plus 15 ESL courses taught in your native language. Learn anytime and anywhere with online access and free mobile apps.
Historian For a Day: The Lucy Higgs Nichols Story
Learn about the Underground Railroad and the story of Lucy Higgs Nichols, a Civil War nurse who escaped enslavement and settled in New Albany! This program is a 1.5-hour experience designed for 3rd-5th graders that combines a one-hour live, synchronous, interactive storytelling session using primary sources with our Museum Educator and your choice of a collaborative or individual bookmaking art activity. Interested in this program but you have a middle or high school class? Let us know and we can work to accommodate your needs! Schedule this experience for your classrooms of up to 50 students at a time by contacting us directly at [email protected] or 812-944-7336.
*Note: this program is free for Floyd County, IN classrooms and non-profit organizations. Fees per classroom may apply for schools outside of Floyd County.
Teacher Resource Guides
The Cultural Art Center’s Museum Educators have put together Teacher Resource Guides for all of our exhibits. Each guide has exhibit information, additional resources, and suggested activities related to the content of the exhibit. These guides can serve as companion pieces to your class visits!
Current Exhibition Resources:
- Remembered: The Life of Lucy Higgs Nichols
- Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad
Previous Exhibition Resources:
- From Audubon to Sisto: Highlights from the Permanent Collection
- Over the Moon: The Eclectic Art of Ann Farnsley
- Ate x 10: A Group Exhibition About Food
- Penny Sisto at 80
- Debra Clem: Surface and Illusion
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: The Men and Women of the Underground Railroad Short Film
An introduction to the history of the Underground Railroad in Southern Indiana, this 15-minute educational film is an edited version of the 1 hour film Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: The Men and Women of the Underground Railroad, produced by the Cultural Arts Center. This film is presented to 3rd-5th graders as a part of our educational program Historian For a Day: The Lucy Higgs Nichols Story.
Five corresponding age-appropriate lessons plans are available to teachers as free downloadable PDFs:
- Lesson 1: An Introduction to the Underground Railroad
- Lesson 2: Background of Secession and the Civil War
- Lesson 3: Coded Words and the Underground Railroad
- Lesson 4: Oral History of the Underground Railroad Compared to the Written Word of Anti-Abolitionists
- Lesson 5: Oral History of the Underground Railroad Through Songs and Spirituals
Make Art with Us From Home
We’ll give you the supply list and some guidance on how to create your masterpiece, and the rest is up to you! Check out these art-and-history-inspired downloadable activities for all ages:
- How to Make a Hairy Monster (Out of yarn and pipe cleaners!)
- DIY Scratch Art. (Using tempera paint and crayons!)
- Colored Pencil Ice Cream Cone (A color-mixing activity)
- Colored Pencil Skin Tones Activity (A color-mixing activity for teens)
- Cardboard Bouquet (Turn your trash into flowers with this project!)
- Make a Flip Book out of an 1878 Film of a Horse Running
- Things to Do With Polymer Clay / Sculpey
- Hair and Identity (for teens) (Photo collage idea)
- Fossil Plaster Art Project (Cast wet plaster into a simple sand mold!)
Reason to Remember: A Virtual New Albany Field Trip
A Reason to Remember: A Virtual New Albany Field Trip is a 35-minute educational film about New Albany, Indiana, that visits four local historic sites in addition to the Cultural Arts Center: the Town Clock Church, Culbertson Mansion, Scribner House, and Division Street School. This film was produced in 2021. Download our A Reason to Remember Educators Guide HERE.