Artful Movement
Inspiring Curious, Creative, and Connected Learning
What if the future of education looked more reflective, more creative, and more connected?
Across the country, educators are searching for meaningful ways to help students build focus, communication skills, resilience, and authentic engagement in learning. At Create Calm, we know sustainable learning happens when curiosity, creativity, movement, and human connection are woven together.
That understanding is at the heart of Artful Movement, an innovative educational initiative developed through Create Calm in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.
Now expanding through a three-year Together We Thrive grant in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, Artful Movement is reaching classrooms and Smithsonian Affiliate museums nationwide—bringing embodied, arts-integrated learning experiences to educators, students, and communities across the country.
with content creators, Lisa Danahy and Jenn Reifsteck.
The Artful Movement Coast-2-Coast Initiative
Artful Movement is expanding nationally with support from a Smithsonian Institution 2025 Together We Thrive grant.
This initiative builds on the existing Artful Movement program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and extends its reach to nine Smithsonian Affiliate museums across the country.
The program provides:
- virtual and in-person field trips for elementary school students (PreK–Grade 5)
- arts-integrated social-emotional learning experiences for students and teachers
- educator professional development for classroom implementation of Artful Movement strategies
- training and mentorship for museum educators and administrators to establish Artful Movement programs within their institutions
- comprehensive classroom and community resources
This initiative supports museums and schools in creating more connected, reflective, and embodied learning experiences for students nationwide.
About Artful Movement
The Method
Artful Movement® is a unique arts-integrated embodied learning experience that combines mindful movement, slow looking, and structured thinking routines to help students develop connection, collaboration, communication, and self-regulation while engaging in meaningful, shared learning experiences.
About the Program
Artful Movement was created by Create Calm Inc. in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art to bring engaging, embodied learning experiences into schools, museums, and community setting.
Since its launch, the program has served over 10,000 students and educators, strengthening focus, communication, collaboration, resilience, and engagement in diverse learning environments.
Originally expanded during the shift to remote learning in 2020, Artful Movement adapted into virtual field trips serving under-resourced schools through interactive, movement-based experiences integrating art observation, reflection, and mindful engagement.
Today, the program offers educator trainings, museum-based workshops, and professional learning experiences designed to support sustainable implementation across classroom and cultural settings.
Key Benefits
Embodied Learning Through Art and Movement: Students learn through movement, observation, and sensory engagement that supports attention, presence, and focus.
Communication, Connection, and Collaboration: Shared inquiry and reflective dialogue strengthen communication skills and peer connection.
Reflective Thinking Practices: Slow looking and structured questioning cultivate curiosity, observation, and deeper engagement with ideas and visual culture.
Accessible and Inclusive Design: Experiences are designed to support learners of all abilities, backgrounds, and learning styles.
Cross-Institutional Learning: Bridges museums, schools, and communities to expand access to arts-integrated, experiential learning.
The Artful Movement curriculum aligns with frameworks and standards supported by:
At the core of the Artful Movement method are cognitive processing strategies inspired by Project Zero Thinking Routines and mindfulness-based movement practices rooted in the social-emotional learning framework of Creating Calm in Your Classroom.
Project Zero Thinking Routines
Creating Calm in Your Classroom
Partner with Us
Artful Movement collaborates with museums, schools, districts, and community organizations to expand access to arts-integrated social-emotional learning experiences through movement, reflection, and embodied engagement.
Museums
Collaborate on movement-based gallery experiences, educator training, and community engagement initiatives.
Schools & Districts
Support arts integration and social-emotional learning through embodied classroom practice and professional development.
Community Organizations
Bring reflective, movement-centered learning experiences into community and youth programming.
Teaching Artists & Facilitators
Integrate movement, reflective practice, and social-emotional learning into arts-based experiences for learners of all ages through adaptable museum, classroom, and community-centered approaches.
Through our latest initiative Together We Thrive Coast-2-Coast, we are building Artful Movement programs with nine Smithsonian Museum affiliates across the country.
Our Affiliates
What began as a collaborative educational pilot during the pandemic to support student well-being, connection, and engagement has evolved into a nationally expanding model for strengthening resilience, reflection, and lifelong learning.
In a significant investment in the future of museum education, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art recently announced a landmark gift establishing a permanent education leadership position dedicated to advancing innovative educational initiatives, including Artful Movement—the method co-created by Create Calm founder Lisa Danahy and museum educator Jennifer Reifsteck.
This investment reflects the museum’s long-term commitment to expanding access to meaningful learning experiences that strengthen communication, creativity, cultural understanding, and the capacity for lifelong learning among educators, students, and communities nationwide.
As Artful Movement continues to grow across classrooms, Smithsonian Affiliate museums, and community settings nationwide, this sustained leadership support helps advance a broader vision of education rooted in reflection, resilience, creativity, and human connection.
For press or partnership inquiries: info@createcalm.org
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Robb Harrell
Artful Movement in Action: A Story of Success in Fairfax County Public Schools
In a dynamic cross-curricular kindergarten unit, educators brought language arts, science, and the arts together to deepen learning through creative integration. By aligning a unit on ants with museum artworks featuring the same theme, teachers engaged students in focused observation, expressive discussion, and imaginative movement. Through slow looking—a practice that encourages students to take time interpreting visual art—children strengthened both expressive and receptive language skills. Channeling artwork into themed lessons allowed students to embody the ants they observed, blending movement with meaning and enhancing fine and gross motor development critical for focus and writing readiness.
Collaborative lesson planning and hands-on practice teaching in a Create Calm training empowered educators to design experiences that bridged content areas, making learning more relevant and engaging for young students. Ant farms in the classroom offered real-world opportunities to develop observation skills, while kinesthetic exploration through “moving like ants” not only reinforced scientific understanding but also nurtured empathy and a deeper connection to the natural world.
This integrated approach illustrates how Artful Movement, interactive learning, and cross-disciplinary connections can elevate content retention, spark curiosity, and build foundational skills across domains—supporting the whole child in joyful, meaningful learning.