Be Curious: Art Links to Learning

What does the next generation of artists look like?

When young people are given space to create, art becomes a powerful way to understand themselves and the world around them. 

For decades, Art Links has partnered with local schools to provide multi-visit arts programming. Marking the 20th anniversary of the Phillips’s young artists exhibitions, this exhibition celebrates education as a vital part of the museum’s mission and traces the program’s evolution. Created over several years in response to works in the permanent collection and special exhibitions, the artworks in this exhibition reflect moments of inquiry, experimentation, and personal storytelling by students from across the Washington, DC, region.

For over 100 years, The Phillips Collection has emphasized the potential for art to be a “joy-giving, life-enhancing influence”—a force that invites curiosity, self-expression, and connection across all ages. Founder Duncan Phillips envisioned the museum as a positive influence in the life of its community, where people could learn to “see beautifully as true artists see.” We invite you to explore these student artworks and consider how curiosity, care, and creativity shape the next generation of artists.

On view:

• Turner Elementary School, DC, Medical & Educational Support Grades K, 1, 2 
• Washington School for Girls, DC, Grades 6, 7, 8 
• Jackson Reed High School, DC, Photography Club
• Our Lady of Victory, DC, Grade 3
• The Langley School, VA, Grades K, 4, and 8
• Van Ness Elementary School, DC, Grades K & 2
• John Francis Education Campus, DC, Grades 7 & 8
• Noyes Elementary School, DC, Grade 4 
• Takoma Education Campus, DC, Grade 5
• Horizons Greater Washington, DC and MD, Grade 8