Wide Horizons is a program of art, science, and action for 7th and 8th grade students on the Gulf Coast. Wide Horizons is inspired by the art, writings, and philosophies of Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965), the Gulf’s cultural patron saint and a believer in the paradigm-shifting potentials of experiential education and exploration. Anderson’s legacy provides a blueprint for connecting ecological and societal cause-and-effect with the agency of the individual to direct civic and environmental action.
7TH and 8TH GRADE TEACHERS: APPLY FOR YOUR CLASS TO PARTICIPATE!
In partnership with the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) and The University of Southern Mississippi’s Marine Education Center (MEC) and Center for STEM Education, the Museum is offering multi-day experiences that include:
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ART & SCIENCE FIELD DAYS (Fall 2025 - Spring 2026): Full-day standards-based field trips to one of the partner sites, with time spent observing the local coastal habitats and ecosystems and learning from artist Walter Anderson’s epic connections to his Gulf Coast environments. Students will learn about the intersections of environment and society through journaling, art making, data-gathering, and peer-to-peer dialogue.
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To book your classroom and field experience, email katy@walterandersonmuseum.org.
SUMMER 2026: CURATOR CAMP & TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Wide Horizons continues in Summer 2026 with these two amazing opportunities for students and teachers:
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CURATOR CAMP (June 2026): Students are invited to attend Curator Camp! Has your student ever wondered how we plan and organize exhibitions? Wide Horizons student alumni or any student entering 8th grade - 12th grade will learn from Museum staff about how to curate an exhibition, which will be installed at the Museum. Artworks for the Wide Horizons Exhibition will come from the Art & Science Field Days from the school year.
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TEACHER SUMMER CAMP (June 2026): The Museum will host a multi-day teacher workshop to provide teachers with toolkits and resources to implement Art & Science programming in their classrooms. The teacher summer camp is geared towards 7th and 8th grade teachers, but all educators are encouraged to attend.
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For BOTH Summer 2026 Wide Horizons opportunities, materials, supplies, and CEUs are supported through the Museum, which means no cost to teachers and students. This opportunity, available to a limited number of Gulf Coast teachers and students, is valued at $350 per person.
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To stay informed about Curator Camp and Teacher Summer Camp, email sandra@walterandersonmuseum.org.
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MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS STANDARDS SERVED INCLUDE:​
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L.7.9B Students will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between natural phenomena, human activity, and global climate change.
VA: Cr2.1.8 Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Demonstrate willingness to experiment, innovate, and take risks to pursue ideas, forms, and meanings that emerge in the process of art-making or designing.
VA: Re7.1.8 Perceive and analyze artistic work.
Explain how a person’s aesthetic choices are influenced by culture and environment and impact the visual image that one conveys to others.
VA: Cn11.1.8 Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
Distinguish different ways art is used to represent, establish, reinforce, and reflect group identity.
History/ Civics: 7C.1 Understand the various roles and expectations of citizens throughout the world and apply that understanding to their role as a citizen of their community, state, and nation.
Ecology & Interdependence: E.8.10 Students will demonstrate an understanding that a decrease in natural resources is directly related to the increase in human population on Earth and must be conserved.
Ecology and Interdependence: L.7.3.4 Explain how disruptions in cycles (e.g., water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen) affect biodiversity and ecosystem services (e.g., water, food, and medications) which are needed to sustain human life on Earth.
Ecology and Interdependence: L.7.3.5 Design solutions for sustaining the health of ecosystems to maintain biodiversity and the resources needed by humans for survival (e.g., water purification, nutrient recycling, prevention of soil erosion, and prevention or management of invasive species).