The Arts

In the 1940s, former Bucks County Superintendent Charles Boehm, assisted and supported by world famous local artist Walter Emerson Baum, began collecting local artwork with the mission of supporting our region's artisans and to promote art and art education to the students of Bucks County. In 1949, they facilitated the donation of 70 pieces from local artists and established the “Traveling Art Gallery,” allowing original pieces of art to be loaned to schools for the benefit of their students. The collection now stands at over 200 pieces, is owned by the Bucks IU, and is overseen by the Arts Education Trust Board under the auspices of the Bucks IU Board of Directors. In honor of the founding members of the “Traveling Art Gallery,” we strive to keep with the original mission, and from that we have created programs to engage, share, and educate.

2024-2025 is the celebration of 75th Anniversary of the Art Collection.  Read about the event honoring this wonderful achievement here: Bucks County Herald Article.

Learn more about our Traveling Art Gallery and Art On The Move program in the videos below:

Art On The Move

The Art On The Move (AOTM) collaborative project between the Bucks IU, the Bucks County schools, and the James A. Michener Art Museum  help participating schools integrate art as the source from which a variety of interdisciplinary curricula are implemented. A group of master paintings, including works of the Pennsylvania Impressionists from the Bucks IU’s Art Collection, is shared with interested schools for a designated period of time. Curricula by subject matter (math, science, literature, etc.) and grade level, directly related to the artwork collection they receive, are provided for the school’s educators to utilize. Having the original master works of art in our schools directly touches the intellectual, emotional, and aesthetic aspects of the lives of our students, staff, and community.