Alex Friend walks the poster around the room so the second-graders can see it up close. After one minute of looking, she asks, &uot;What is it?&uot;

The children make their guesses, and they go on to discuss what the piece is made of, where it was made, how old it is, how it would feel, and what was important to the people who made it.

A second poster comes out, and the process is repeated.

It’s part of the month-long unit at St. Theodore Catholic School called the Art Adventure Program. The program of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is a way of bringing works of art that can’t leave the museum into elementary-school classrooms. Each reproduction set features eight works of art chosen around a theme of particular interest to the children.

This month’s theme is &uot;Let’s Celebrate Life,&uot; and it includes pieces like a gate from China, a Jewish alms box, a festive painting, a Lakota tribe beaded headdress and a crocodile drum.

Friend is one of six parent volunteers at the school who present the art set once a week during the month. The volunteers then lead the class in a related art project.

Parent volunteers train at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. They receive printed background material, get presentation tips and see the original objects they’ll be introducing to students.

&uot;They teach us how to teach the kids,&uot; Friend said.

The hands-on activities are age appropriate, she said; kindergartners may do something quite simple, and older students do something more elaborate.

&uot;It’s a lot about art appreciation, plus they get to do a project,&uot; Friend said. &uot;It’s amazing what these kids can pick up on.&uot;

According to the institute, the program provides students with a rare opportunity to spend time looking at art and express what they see in words. Students gain confidence in their ability to find meaning in artifacts from a wide range of world cultures. They practice seeing things from another person’s point of view, whether it’s their classmate’s or the artist’s. They feel the thrill of meeting an old friend when they later come upon familiar objects at the museum. And, not least, they enjoy meaningful contact with a visiting member of the school community.

Friend said plans are in the works to take a trip to the museum in December to see the art they’ve studied. In the spring, a whole new set of art will be presented.

Friend, who coordinates the program at St. Theodore, moved to Albert Lea last year. Before that, her children had attended school in Minneapolis, and the school there had the program.

&uot;When we looked at schools here I found out no one was doing the Art Adventures Program,&uot; she said. &uot;I loved the program and enjoyed being in the classroom with the kids. So I talked with (St. Theodore principal) Tom Klipfel and asked if we could get it in the school.&uot; The first unit, &uot;How People Lived,&uot; was taught last spring.

It’s a statewide program, Friend said. Some smaller schools use it as their sole art program, and others use it to enhance what’s already in place. More than 2,000 people have been trained as parent volunteers in the state, she said.

Brenda Hanssen, the second-grade teacher at St. Theodore, said she likes the fact that students are being exposed to works of art they otherwise might not see. &uot;And it’s so good of the parents who trained to take the time to come into the classroom,&uot; she said.

Friend said for the most part, it’s been easy to get parent volunteers to teach about the art pieces.

&uot;They’re small classes, and most of the people who did it last year were excited to do it again,&uot; Friend said. &uot;They’re all working parents, yet they found time to do this.&uot;

(Contact Geri McShane at lifestyles@albertleatribune.com or 379-3436.)