• Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA)

  • About KSMoCA

    KSMoCA Wall with logo

    KSMoCA, Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art, is a contemporary art museum inside of Dr. MLK Jr. School in northeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2014 by Portland State University professors Lisa Jarrett and Harrell Fletcher, the project creates an unusual pairing between public school students and internationally renowned artists and their work. KSMoCA’s programs are collaboratively developed with the Dr. MLK Jr. School community, PSU students, and volunteers.

    Students learn through experience about museum practice and careers in the arts by participating as curators, preparators, artists, gallerists, writers, and docents. KSMoCA reimagines the way museums, public schools, and universities can affect people, culture, and perspectives by creating radical intersections and sharing resources across organizations.

    For more information, visit www.ksmoca.com and Instagram.

    Exhibitions

    KSMoCA hosts three main exhibitions throughout the course of the school year (Fall, Winter and Spring). Each exhibition features the artwork of a world-renowned contemporary artist, and work made by Dr MLK Jr school students who met the artist and participated in a workshop. This artwork is displayed in the hallway between the cafeteria and the gym.

    KSMoCA also hosts three exhibitions annually in the MLK Jr. Gallery. This space is curated by the Student Curatorial Committee, a group of 4th and 5th grade students who meet with and select artists for this space. This gallery is located in the hallway between the office and the cafeteria.

    To learn more about these exhibitions, please visit the exhibitions page on their website. 
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  • Upcoming Events

    black and white photo of woman in an art studio

    Artist Talk and Exhibition Opening with Yoonhee Choi, KSMoCA’s Fall 2025 Artist in Residence

    THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025
    10 — 11 AM
    SCHOOL LIBRARY and CAFETORIUM

    Educated as a city planner, an architect, and an artist, Yoonhee Choi creates work that explores the potential of unexpected materials to express multiple scales of spatial experience and intimate, personal associations. In her projects, which range from tiny collages to drawings on paper to room-size installations, she uses everyday materials in a playful manner. Her work has been exhibited across the country and is part of collections on both coasts, including the Portland Airport where her glass walls line the north and south security areas.

    Choi studied art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, architecture at Yale University, and city planning at Hong-ik University in Seoul. Born and raised in South Korea, she currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

    KSMoCA hosts many projects, activities, and artist talks throughout the school year. Stay up to date on upcoming activities by visiting their events calendar or by following their Instagram page.
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