Thanks to Visual Arts Referendum Funding, PCS teachers can take their classes on meaningful art-based field trips. Field trips to view impactful works of art and learn about artists and art history in beautiful art museums, galleries, and centers engage, expand, and inspire young minds. These relevant real-world experiences also allow students, teachers, and chaperons to learn more about our local, state, and world's shared artistic and cultural treasures! 

• Read this article about how art museum visits during childhood inspired modern-day artists to fall in love with art!
• Read this article about an unexpectedly positive result from arts-focused field trips “The surprising result is that students who received multiple field trips experienced significantly greater gains in standardized test scores after the first year than the control students.” 
• Read this article with new research showing how taking children to art museums makes them better learners!

Visual Arts Student Field Trip Planning Process for Teachers:

PCS Referendum funds are available to cover the cost of school or commercial buses and admission fees for students and their teacher(s) who go on an art-based field trip to a district-approved local art museum or art center. Visit the Teaching & Learning webpage for field trips to other (non-art) locations/events. Go here to find the requirements and guidelines for PCS student field trips. TDEs and funds for substitute teachers can be provided by the Visual Arts Department ONLY for PCS art teachers who take art students on field trips (funding for subs is not available for non-art teachers). ***The deadline for visual arts field trip requests submitted by teachers this school year is Fri., April 10, 2026 (no exceptions).***

 1. At Least 4 Weeks in Advance of the Proposed Art Field Trip Date:

Teacher requests their school administrator's approval and follow the school's field trip procedures. Then make a field trip reservation with an art museum, art venue, or art center, obtain student and adult admission rates, and request a written confirmation from the venue (see currently district-approved art venues below):

• Art Festival Beth-El
• The Artway Gallery in the UPC Building, SPC Seminole Campus
• ArtsXchange Campus
• Beach Art Center
• The Dalí Museum
• Clay Center of St. Petersburg
• The Gallery at Creative Pinellas
• Creative Clay
• The Crossroads Gallery in the Crossroads Building, SPC Clearwater Campus
• Duncan McClellan Glass Gallery/DMG School Project
• Dunedin Fine Art Center/ Wheels on Wheels Mobile Pottery Experience
• Embracing Our Differences Exhibition, St. Pete
• FloridaRAMA
• Florida CraftArt & Mural Tours
• Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa
• Imagine Glass Museum
• The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art
• Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
• The Morean Arts Center (The Chihuly Collection/Morean Center for Clay/Morean Glass Studio)
• Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement
• Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg
• The Ringling Museum of Art
• Safety Harbor Art and Music Center
• Sarasota Art Museum
• The Studio@620
• Suntan Art Center
• Tampa Museum of Art
• USF Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa

2. Transportation Coordination:

District School Bus

1. Teacher must request their school's secretary/bookkeeper to schedule bus transportation for the participating students. IMPORTANT: Pick-up and return times must be between 10:15 am and 1:00 pm (no exceptions).  

Commercial Carrier

1. If a district bus is unavailable, the teacher or bookkeeper can contact approved vendors found on the Authorized Commercial Carrier Services List to obtain a written quote/acceptance letter.
2. The teacher must complete the Commercial Carrier Request For Quote form and submit it to the school's Bookkeeper.

 3. At Least 3 Weeks in Advance of Proposed Field Trip Date:

The teacher must fully complete the Visual Arts Field Trip Funding Request Form 2-2102 (incomplete forms may delay the process or be denied). For all OTHER non-art venue field trips, visit the Teaching & Learning webpage to view district-approved list and submit requests. After the school principal signs this form indicating approval, the teacher must scan/photograph: 1. the Funding Request form, 2. the carrier bus acceptance letter (if applicable), and 3. the art museum, art site, or art center reservation confirmation letter, and send all of the files together in one email to: Francine Giannotti <giannottif@pcsb.org>, Visual Arts Secretary/Bookkeeper and cc Jonathan Ogle <oglejo@pcsb.org>, PreK-12 Visual Arts Specialist, OR print and pony all of the forms required together in one mail envelope to the Visual Arts Office at the PCS Administration Building. 

4. Art Field Trip District-Approval Process:

The Pre-K-12 Visual Arts Department will review the three required files (see above) within 14 business days and, upon approval, email a memo to both the teacher and their school's Bookkeeper with funding cost strip information for paying the admission (if there is an admission fee) and/or commercial carrier fees.

 5. After the School Receives the Approval Memo:

1. The school's Secretary/Bookkeeper must generate a TDE for the art teacher* and email it to Francine Giannotti <giannottif@pcsb.org> and Jonathan Ogle <oglejo@pcsb.org> if funding for a substitute teacher is needed. (*Note: only art teachers are permitted to have a Visual Arts Department-approved TDE with funding for a substitute for field trips.)
2. The teacher must immediately confirm their carrier transportation for the field trip with the carrier vendor directly.
3. The teacher must coordinate with their school's bookkeeper to arrange admissions payment via P-Card or PCS Purchase Order using the provided cost strip at the time of the actual visit to the venue.

Cancellations:

• The teacher must notify their school's Secretary/Bookkeeper, the art museum or art center, the commercial carrier, AND the Visual Arts Office of a cancellation ASAP.

 

Questions?

Email the PreK-12 Visual Arts Department: Francine Giannotti, Secretary/Bookkeeper <GIANNOTTIF@pcsb.org>, and Jonathan Ogle, PreK-12 Visual Arts Specialist <oglejo@pcsb.org>.