The CJM is proud to be a recipient of the 2022 Superintendent's Award for Excellence in Museum Education, awarded jointly by the California Association of Museums and the California Department of Education, for this virtual tour.
For students in grades 1–2; available by reservation September–December, 2024
ADMISSION: Free for Bay Area school groups through the 2023–2024 academic year; $100 per class of 25 for non–Bay Area school groups. Reserved SFUSD classes receive a free class set of art materials for the art making activity.
This award-winning virtual school tour with hands-on art making is back by popular demand! The Stories and Art of Ezra Jack Keats is an innovative way to integrate arts and literacy into your first- or second-grade classroom. This tour brings a CJM educator to your classroom over Zoom for an interactive tour of the past CJM exhibition The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats, highlighting early literacy concepts, followed by a guided art making session inspired by Keats’s illustrations. The perfect complement to an Ezra Jack Keats author study, students will be introduced to Keats’s biography as the son of Jewish immigrants; his path to becoming an artist; and his choice to portray characters of color who reflected the Brooklyn neighborhood where he lived. This 60-minute experience will engage students with an interactive tour, art making, and an optional break in the middle. First and second grade only; one class per experience. Reserved SFUSD classes receive a free class set of art materials for the art making activity!
The CJM is proud to be a recipient of the 2022 Superintendent's Award for Excellence in Museum Education, awarded jointly by the California Association of Museums and the California Department of Education, for this virtual tour.
Book your tour using the button below, or visit our School Tours page to see all of our school tour options.
The Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Project is an annual project presented by The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM), the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), and the San Francisco Public Library that promotes the art and craft of original bookmaking in the classroom, and invites SFUSD students in grades K–12 to design, write, and create their own books. At the end of the project, books are be honored, showcased, and celebrated.
Submissions are now being accepted for our twelfth year of the project! Click below to learn more.
Learn more about our other current school tour offerings by clicking below.
The CJM offers an array of free, downloadable resources designed to prepare students and teachers to view exhibitions, and to support your tour experience.
For questions or assistance, call 415.655.7855 or email tours@thecjm.org. Plus, for the latest updates on new programs and resources for educators, sign up for our mailing list below.
The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats was the first major exhibition in the United States to pay tribute to award-winning author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats (1916–1983), whose beloved children’s books include Whistle for Willie (1964), Peter’s Chair (1967), andThe Snowy Day (1962)—the first modern full-color picture book to feature an African American protagonist. Published in 1962, at the height of the civil rights movement in America, the book went on to become an inspiration for generations of readers, transforming children’s literature forever. The exhibition featured over eighty original works by the artist, from preliminary sketches and dummies or preparatory books to final paintings and collages, including examples of Keats’ most introspective but lesser-known output inspired by Asian art and poetry.
Major support for K-12 School and Teacher Programs is generously provided by the California Arts Council; California Bank & Trust; William Randolph Hearst Foundation; Barbara and Ronald Kaufman; The Bernard Osher Foundation; Pacific Gas and Electric Company; The Ullendorff Memorial Foundation; and Yerba Buena Community Benefit Fund.
Header image: Ezra Jack Keats, “After breakfast he put on his snowsuit and ran outside” (detail). Final illustration for The Snowy Day, 1962. Collage and paint on board, 10 x 20 in. Ezra Jack Keats papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi. Copyright © Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.
Exhibition image: Ezra Jack Keats, “It was hot. After supper Roberto came to his window to talk with Amy.” Final illustration for Dreams, 1974. Marbled paper and paint on board, 13 9/16 x 20 9/16 in. Ezra Jack Keats papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi. Copyright © Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.