Kindergarten – Grade 4 Student Programs
Year at a Glance

 

Guided Visits
All Guided Visits last one hour and are theme-based. Emphasis is on active looking and discussion supported by hands-on resources that reinforce ideas and concepts.

 

Art Detectives
Grades K - 2
What kind of stories do artworks tell us? On this artistic adventure your students will use their detective skills to discover how artists use pictures instead of words to tell a story. This combined story-telling and story-making visit invites student to listen to stories, make careful observations about what they see, and share their ideas as they discover a variety of artworks spanning time and cultures. Along the way students will learn how artists use basic elements including line, shape, and color to create a visual language, and they will refine their detective skills, making them better observers of art both in the Museum and in the world around them.

The Four Seasons
Grades 1 – 4
Frosty white snow. Glittering golden leaves. Shimmering pink sunsets. Color abounds as students explore the four seasons as depicted in landscape paintings. Music will be used to enhance the experience and to stimulate students’ understanding of how different types of artists find inspiration in the natural environment. Students will also discover the personal role color plays in our lives, particularly in its ability to stir our emotions and awaken the imagination. A truly creative connection will be established between what students already know about color and the artistic use of this very important element.

Gallery Explorations
Gallery Explorations last approximately 1.5 hours and utilize hands-on, in-gallery activities to engage students with artworks through a selected theme. Teacher and supervisor assistance is required during the program.

My First Visit to the Art Museum
Kindergarten – Grade 2
From rocks to erasers to hair ribbons to sports cards, children love to collect things. This idea is the starting point for an imaginative exploration of our collection—works of art. During this first visit, students will be introduced to the concept of a museum, why it is important to collect works of art, and how we display them. As they travel from gallery to gallery they will discover a variety of historical and contemporary artworks through engaging activities designed specifically for our youngest of visitors. After they have tried their hand at being art detectives, listened to stories, and played “strike a pose,” they will create, as a group, a mini art gallery in a box to take back to school.

Sensational Senses
Grades 2 – 4
Awaken your senses and ready your imagination! This lively exploration encourages students to go beyond using sight alone to explore works of art in a gallery setting. Students will learn how artists use various techniques to engage our senses of hearing, smell, touch, and even taste without ever having to actually touch the works of art. This exploration focuses on historical and contemporary paintings and sculptures and includes gallery-based activities designed to heighten students’ understanding of the artworks and open new avenues to exploring line, texture, color, and shape. A truly sense-sational experience awaits your students!

Sculpture: Shapes to Walk Around
Grades 3 - 4
Welcome to the world of 3-D where students travel from 9th-century India to 16th-century Italy to 20th-century United States in only ninety minutes! Along the way students will discover some of the many techniques sculptors use—including modeling, casting, carving, and constructions—to render their visions a reality. To reinforce the concepts explored, students will take part in gallery-based activities: creating theatrical tableaus, listening to the sculptural works of Harry Bertoia, and touching a variety of materials used to create sculptures. Both representational and abstract sculptures will be viewed, with students creating their own small-scale modeling clay sculpture to take back to school.

Grades 5 – 8 Student Programs
Year at a Glance

 

 

Guided Visits
All Guided Visits last one hour and are theme-based. Emphasis is on active looking and discussion supported by hands-on resources that reinforce ideas and concepts.

Signs & Symbols: Decoding Art
Grades 5 – 8
A blue dress…a broach…a halo…flowers and fruit…an elephant… Do artists include these things in their artworks for a reason? Do they have special meaning? This and more will be revealed during this visit designed to help students uncover some of the many ways they can decode works of art by understanding signs and symbols used by artists throughout history. Starting with simple and familiar subjects and objects, students will build their repertoire of meanings through active looking and guided discussion reinforced with links to present day symbols such as the Nike “swoosh” ™, MacDonald’s golden arches™, and the NBC peacock™. This visit reaches beyond the surface of the canvas and provides students with tools they can use to decode art.

New Ways of Seeing the World
Grades 5 – 8
As the world changes, so to do works of art. This visit introduces students to some of the many explorations and innovations realized by artists in the past 500 years. From the development of perspective during the Renaissance to the impressionism of the late 19th century to post-World War II abstract canvases to woven seat belts, artists have never shied away from embracing change and broadening the definition of art. By viewing a selection of works from the Museum’s collection, students will see first-hand some of the many visual styles that have emerged during the last 500 years and wrestle with the age old question—does art reflect life, or does life reflect art? By the end of the visit, they will have gained a new way of seeing their world!

Gallery Explorations
Gallery Explorations last approximately 1.5 hours and utilize hands-on, in-gallery activities to engage students with artworks through a selected theme. Teacher and supervisor assistance is required during the program.

By Design: Art & Life
Grades 5 – 8
What makes good design good? Is it the materials? Its functionality? The design? Or personal taste? These questions will form the basis of students’ exploration of popular culture’s impact on current design. Using the Museum’s decorative arts collection and the second Francis W. Little House library designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, students will discuss the relationship between history, culture and design. They will consider how the functional designs of today’s household objects, toys, clothing and furniture are influenced by current events, ideas and trends, as well as past design. Students will then create a sketch that reflects their own 21st-century design.

Perspective In Depth
Grades 5 – 8
Are your students both fascinated and perplexed by the way artists create the illusion of depth in their paintings? If so, this is the perfect program to help them better understand this challenging technique. Using the Museum’s European collection as the starting point, students will trace the historical development of perspective and the variety of techniques used by artists to create the illusion of depth on a 2-D surface. They will then translate theory into practice as they try their hand at mastering perspective through a series of gallery-based activities. This program can be used as an introduction to perspective or to enhance concepts already explored in the classroom.

Sculpture: Shapes to Walk Around
Grades 5 – 8
Welcome to the world of 3-D where students travel from 9th-century India to 16th-century Italy to 20th-century United States in only ninety minutes! Along the way students will discover some of the many techniques sculptors use—including modeling, casting, carving and constructions—to render their visions a reality. To reinforce the concepts explored, students will take part in gallery-based activities: creating theatrical tableaus, listening to the sculptural works of Harry Bertoia, and touching a variety of materials used to create sculptures. Both representational and abstract sculptures will be viewed, with students creating their own small-scale modeling clay sculpture to take back to school.

One-Day Program
This in-depth, thematic, one-day program is designed to deepen your students’ understanding of a subject by combining active looking, discussion, in-gallery activities and art making. The program runs from approximately 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Times are flexible and may be adjusted to meet your specific scheduling needs.

The Renaissance Connection
What is the Renaissance Connection? Does this exciting period in European history really connect to our lives today? Students will take an exciting trip back in time and trace the direct lineage of Renaissance innovations to contemporary advancements using artworks from the Museum’s European collection.

Begin the day exploring time capsules filled with mystery objects. These objects are the catalyst for discussing six core themes that exemplify the Renaissance: science and technology, trade and exploration, ideas and antiquity, the arts and architecture, patrons and merchants, and everyday life. Students then strengthen the discussion by making links between the six themes and present day innovations, reinforcing the connections between the past and today’s world. Armed with a newly acquired understanding of the Renaissance, students will then view the European collection and deepen their understanding of the period, learning about important Renaissance developments in visual arts. Active looking, discussion and in-gallery activities combined with props, costumes and visual aids will be used to enhance the experience. Guided by a worksheet, students will study and sketch an artwork of their choice, bringing the in-gallery component to a close. The program culminates in the Binney & Smith Learning Center with students creating a self-portrait painting inspired by the day’s discoveries.

Grades 9 – 12 Student Programs
Year at a Glance

 

Guided Visits
All Guided Visits last one hour and are theme-based. Emphasis is on active looking and discussion supported by hands-on resources that reinforce ideas and concepts.

Signs & Symbols: Decoding Art
Grades 9 – 12
A blue dress…a broach…a halo…flowers and fruit…an elephant… Do artists include these things in their artworks for a reason? Do they have special meaning? This and more will be revealed during this visit designed to help students uncover some of the many ways they can decode works of art by understanding signs and symbols used by artists throughout history. Starting with simple and familiar subjects and objects, students will build their repertoire of meanings through active looking and guided discussion reinforced with links to present day symbols such as the Nike “swoosh” ™, MacDonald’s golden arches™, and the NBC peacock™. This visit reaches beyond the surface of the canvas and provides students with tools they can use to decode art.

New Ways of Seeing the World
Grades 9 – 12
As the world changes, so to do works of art. This visit introduces students to some of the many explorations and innovations realized by artists in the past 500 years. From the development of perspective during the Renaissance to the impressionism of the late 19th century to post-World War II abstract canvases to woven seat belts, artists have never shied away from embracing change and broadening the definition of art. By viewing a selection of works from the Museum’s collection, students will see first-hand some of the many visual styles that have emerged during the last 500 years and wrestle with the age old question—does art reflect life, or does life reflect art? By the end of the visit, they will have gained a new way of seeing their world!

Gallery Explorations
Gallery Explorations last approximately 1.5 hours and utilize hands-on, in-gallery activities to engage students with artworks through a selected theme. Teacher and supervisor assistance is required during the program.

By Design: Art & Life
Grades 9 - 12
What makes good design good? Is it the materials? Its functionality? The design? Or personal taste? These questions will form the basis of students’ exploration of popular culture’s impact on current design. Using the Museum’s decorative arts collection and the second Francis W. Little House library designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, students will discuss the relationship between history, culture and design. They will consider how the functional designs of today’s household objects, toys, clothing and furniture are influenced by current events, ideas and trends, as well as past design. Students will then create a sketch that reflects their own 21st-century design.

Sketching the Landscape
Grades 9 - 12
Drawing from original works of art, or copying, was once a popular method for learning the techniques of master artists. During this exploration, students will use works of art from the Museum’s collection to rediscover this practice and further their understanding of basic landscape drawing techniques. After viewing and discussing academic and “plein-air” paintings, students will embark on a sketching expedition in the galleries. By studying paintings through sketching, students will hone some of the many techniques used by artists to capture nature on canvas. This exploration will reveal the social and cultural factors that influenced 19th- and 20th-century landscape artists and give students an opportunity to turn theory into practice.

Kindergarten – Grade 4 Student Programs
Year at a Glance

 

Guided Visits
All Guided Visits last one hour and are theme-based. Emphasis is on active looking and discussion supported by hands-on resources that reinforce ideas and concepts.

 

Art Detectives
Grades K - 2
What kind of stories do artworks tell us? On this artistic adventure your students will use their detective skills to discover how artists use pictures instead of words to tell a story. This combined story-telling and story-making visit invites student to listen to stories, make careful observations about what they see, and share their ideas as they discover a variety of artworks spanning time and cultures. Along the way students will learn how artists use basic elements including line, shape, and color to create a visual language, and they will refine their detective skills, making them better observers of art both in the Museum and in the world around them.

The Four Seasons
Grades 1 – 4
Frosty white snow. Glittering golden leaves. Shimmering pink sunsets. Color abounds as students explore the four seasons as depicted in landscape paintings. Music will be used to enhance the experience and to stimulate students’ understanding of how different types of artists find inspiration in the natural environment. Students will also discover the personal role color plays in our lives, particularly in its ability to stir our emotions and awaken the imagination. A truly creative connection will be established between what students already know about color and the artistic use of this very important element.

Gallery Explorations
Gallery Explorations last approximately 1.5 hours and utilize hands-on, in-gallery activities to engage students with artworks through a selected theme. Teacher and supervisor assistance is required during the program.

My First Visit to the Art Museum
Kindergarten – Grade 2
From rocks to erasers to hair ribbons to sports cards, children love to collect things. This idea is the starting point for an imaginative exploration of our collection—works of art. During this first visit, students will be introduced to the concept of a museum, why it is important to collect works of art, and how we display them. As they travel from gallery to gallery they will discover a variety of historical and contemporary artworks through engaging activities designed specifically for our youngest of visitors. After they have tried their hand at being art detectives, listened to stories, and played “strike a pose,” they will create, as a group, a mini art gallery in a box to take back to school.

Sensational Senses
Grades 2 – 4
Awaken your senses and ready your imagination! This lively exploration encourages students to go beyond using sight alone to explore works of art in a gallery setting. Students will learn how artists use various techniques to engage our senses of hearing, smell, touch, and even taste without ever having to actually touch the works of art. This exploration focuses on historical and contemporary paintings and sculptures and includes gallery-based activities designed to heighten students’ understanding of the artworks and open new avenues to exploring line, texture, color, and shape. A truly sense-sational experience awaits your students!

Sculpture: Shapes to Walk Around
Grades 3 - 4
Welcome to the world of 3-D where students travel from 9th-century India to 16th-century Italy to 20th-century United States in only ninety minutes! Along the way students will discover some of the many techniques sculptors use—including modeling, casting, carving, and constructions—to render their visions a reality. To reinforce the concepts explored, students will take part in gallery-based activities: creating theatrical tableaus, listening to the sculptural works of Harry Bertoia, and touching a variety of materials used to create sculptures. Both representational and abstract sculptures will be viewed, with students creating their own small-scale modeling clay sculpture to take back to school.

Grades 5 – 8 Student Programs
Year at a Glance

 

 

Guided Visits
All Guided Visits last one hour and are theme-based. Emphasis is on active looking and discussion supported by hands-on resources that reinforce ideas and concepts.

Signs & Symbols: Decoding Art
Grades 5 – 8
A blue dress…a broach…a halo…flowers and fruit…an elephant… Do artists include these things in their artworks for a reason? Do they have special meaning? This and more will be revealed during this visit designed to help students uncover some of the many ways they can decode works of art by understanding signs and symbols used by artists throughout history. Starting with simple and familiar subjects and objects, students will build their repertoire of meanings through active looking and guided discussion reinforced with links to present day symbols such as the Nike “swoosh” ™, MacDonald’s golden arches™, and the NBC peacock™. This visit reaches beyond the surface of the canvas and provides students with tools they can use to decode art.

New Ways of Seeing the World
Grades 5 – 8
As the world changes, so to do works of art. This visit introduces students to some of the many explorations and innovations realized by artists in the past 500 years. From the development of perspective during the Renaissance to the impressionism of the late 19th century to post-World War II abstract canvases to woven seat belts, artists have never shied away from embracing change and broadening the definition of art. By viewing a selection of works from the Museum’s collection, students will see first-hand some of the many visual styles that have emerged during the last 500 years and wrestle with the age old question—does art reflect life, or does life reflect art? By the end of the visit, they will have gained a new way of seeing their world!

Gallery Explorations
Gallery Explorations last approximately 1.5 hours and utilize hands-on, in-gallery activities to engage students with artworks through a selected theme. Teacher and supervisor assistance is required during the program.

By Design: Art & Life
Grades 5 – 8
What makes good design good? Is it the materials? Its functionality? The design? Or personal taste? These questions will form the basis of students’ exploration of popular culture’s impact on current design. Using the Museum’s decorative arts collection and the second Francis W. Little House library designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, students will discuss the relationship between history, culture and design. They will consider how the functional designs of today’s household objects, toys, clothing and furniture are influenced by current events, ideas and trends, as well as past design. Students will then create a sketch that reflects their own 21st-century design.

Perspective In Depth
Grades 5 – 8
Are your students both fascinated and perplexed by the way artists create the illusion of depth in their paintings? If so, this is the perfect program to help them better understand this challenging technique. Using the Museum’s European collection as the starting point, students will trace the historical development of perspective and the variety of techniques used by artists to create the illusion of depth on a 2-D surface. They will then translate theory into practice as they try their hand at mastering perspective through a series of gallery-based activities. This program can be used as an introduction to perspective or to enhance concepts already explored in the classroom.

Sculpture: Shapes to Walk Around
Grades 5 – 8
Welcome to the world of 3-D where students travel from 9th-century India to 16th-century Italy to 20th-century United States in only ninety minutes! Along the way students will discover some of the many techniques sculptors use—including modeling, casting, carving and constructions—to render their visions a reality. To reinforce the concepts explored, students will take part in gallery-based activities: creating theatrical tableaus, listening to the sculptural works of Harry Bertoia, and touching a variety of materials used to create sculptures. Both representational and abstract sculptures will be viewed, with students creating their own small-scale modeling clay sculpture to take back to school.

One-Day Program
This in-depth, thematic, one-day program is designed to deepen your students’ understanding of a subject by combining active looking, discussion, in-gallery activities and art making. The program runs from approximately 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Times are flexible and may be adjusted to meet your specific scheduling needs.

The Renaissance Connection
What is the Renaissance Connection? Does this exciting period in European history really connect to our lives today? Students will take an exciting trip back in time and trace the direct lineage of Renaissance innovations to contemporary advancements using artworks from the Museum’s European collection.

Begin the day exploring time capsules filled with mystery objects. These objects are the catalyst for discussing six core themes that exemplify the Renaissance: science and technology, trade and exploration, ideas and antiquity, the arts and architecture, patrons and merchants, and everyday life. Students then strengthen the discussion by making links between the six themes and present day innovations, reinforcing the connections between the past and today’s world. Armed with a newly acquired understanding of the Renaissance, students will then view the European collection and deepen their understanding of the period, learning about important Renaissance developments in visual arts. Active looking, discussion and in-gallery activities combined with props, costumes and visual aids will be used to enhance the experience. Guided by a worksheet, students will study and sketch an artwork of their choice, bringing the in-gallery component to a close. The program culminates in the Binney & Smith Learning Center with students creating a self-portrait painting inspired by the day’s discoveries.

Grades 9 – 12 Student Programs
Year at a Glance

 

Guided Visits
All Guided Visits last one hour and are theme-based. Emphasis is on active looking and discussion supported by hands-on resources that reinforce ideas and concepts.

Signs & Symbols: Decoding Art
Grades 9 – 12
A blue dress…a broach…a halo…flowers and fruit…an elephant… Do artists include these things in their artworks for a reason? Do they have special meaning? This and more will be revealed during this visit designed to help students uncover some of the many ways they can decode works of art by understanding signs and symbols used by artists throughout history. Starting with simple and familiar subjects and objects, students will build their repertoire of meanings through active looking and guided discussion reinforced with links to present day symbols such as the Nike “swoosh” ™, MacDonald’s golden arches™, and the NBC peacock™. This visit reaches beyond the surface of the canvas and provides students with tools they can use to decode art.

New Ways of Seeing the World
Grades 9 – 12
As the world changes, so to do works of art. This visit introduces students to some of the many explorations and innovations realized by artists in the past 500 years. From the development of perspective during the Renaissance to the impressionism of the late 19th century to post-World War II abstract canvases to woven seat belts, artists have never shied away from embracing change and broadening the definition of art. By viewing a selection of works from the Museum’s collection, students will see first-hand some of the many visual styles that have emerged during the last 500 years and wrestle with the age old question—does art reflect life, or does life reflect art? By the end of the visit, they will have gained a new way of seeing their world!

Gallery Explorations
Gallery Explorations last approximately 1.5 hours and utilize hands-on, in-gallery activities to engage students with artworks through a selected theme. Teacher and supervisor assistance is required during the program.

By Design: Art & Life
Grades 9 - 12
What makes good design good? Is it the materials? Its functionality? The design? Or personal taste? These questions will form the basis of students’ exploration of popular culture’s impact on current design. Using the Museum’s decorative arts collection and the second Francis W. Little House library designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, students will discuss the relationship between history, culture and design. They will consider how the functional designs of today’s household objects, toys, clothing and furniture are influenced by current events, ideas and trends, as well as past design. Students will then create a sketch that reflects their own 21st-century design.

Sketching the Landscape
Grades 9 - 12
Drawing from original works of art, or copying, was once a popular method for learning the techniques of master artists. During this exploration, students will use works of art from the Museum’s collection to rediscover this practice and further their understanding of basic landscape drawing techniques. After viewing and discussing academic and “plein-air” paintings, students will embark on a sketching expedition in the galleries. By studying paintings through sketching, students will hone some of the many techniques used by artists to capture nature on canvas. This exploration will reveal the social and cultural factors that influenced 19th- and 20th-century landscape artists and give students an opportunity to turn theory into practice.