The Visiting Artist Program (VAP) is designed specifically for Richardson ISD teachers who want to enrich their classroom experience with real-world visual arts engagement. This outreach initiative extends the spirit of the Cottonwood Art Festival beyond the park and directly into your school, giving your students meaningful access to working professional artists.

Through VAP, Cottonwood artists are matched based on requested availability and medium of work. Each artist provides approximately one hour of classroom presentation that may include live demonstrations, hands-on activities, discussions about creative processes, or personal stories about working as a professional artist.

This program offers teachers a powerful way to:

• Enhance and expand existing visual arts curriculum

• Bring lessons to life through real-world application

• Expose students to diverse artistic mediums and career pathways

• Inspire creativity through direct interaction with professional artists

These visits offer students the rare opportunity to meet and learn from professional working artists who are creating and exhibiting at the festival. Beyond instruction, these classroom visits help strengthen the partnership between Cottonwood and Richardson ISD, building lasting connections that support arts education.

If you would like to host a Visiting Artist in your classroom, please click below to apply.