Art Institute of Chicago Educator Programs

12/06/2022

Chicago Teachers and Parents: Check out this great learning resource made available to area kids by our colleagues at Chicago Public Library.

12/05/2022

Ask an Educator
Looking for artworks to enliven classroom learning or to visit on your self-guided museum tour? Connect virtually with the museum’s experienced volunteer educators and get recommendations for works of art as well as digital resources that perfectly complement your unique curriculum. Simply fill out this form to get started: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXvNj6ai20cdkFf4BwWgFMPsyoWN9K41D3-kzyZPWoPD8w_w/viewform
View Tour Offerings: https://www.artic.edu/learn-with-us/educators/visit-with-my-students
Image: Abelardo Morell. New Years Eve, 1989/90. Gift of Abelardo Morell. © Abelardo Morell, courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York.

11/13/2022

Back on view! Alma Thomas's "Starry Night and the Astronauts." Learn more about the work and access a teaching resource here: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/129884/starry-night-and-the-astronauts

"Starry Night and the Astronauts" is back on view at the Art Institute! ✨🚀

Alma Thomas, Howard University's first fine arts graduate, spent 35 years as a junior-high arts educator in Washington, D.C.

After decades as a representational painter, she began in her 70s to explore abstraction, creating shimmering, mosaic-like fields of color with rhythmic dabs of paint, often inspired by forms or scenes from nature.

This painting evokes the celestial patterns and open expanse of a night sky, but despite its narrative title, the painting could also be read as an aerial view of a watery surface, playing with our sense of immersion within an otherwise flat picture plane.

See "Starry Night and the Astronauts" (1972) by Alma Thomas on view in Gallery 291 of the Modern Wing.

10/28/2022

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
Chicago native Ivan Albright (1897-1983) was known as a “master of the macabre” famous for his richly detailed paintings of ghoulish subjects. Albright was commissioned to create this painting for the 1945 movie adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The portrait appeared in vivid Technicolor, within the otherwise black-and-white film, causing a sensation. When Albright’s canvas was exhibited at the Art Institute later that year, the Chicago Tribune reported that the museum “is having a heck of a time handling the crowds flocking to see his painting.”

Learn more about the artist and his work: https://www.artic.edu/artists/33376/ivan-albright

10/26/2022

STUDENT EXPERIENCES: BOOK NOW!
Registration is now open for self-guided student tours as well as educator-led museum visits and virtual student experiences! Offerings include the themes of Art across Cultures, Art + Activism and Art + Access. Find all of our offerings and schedule your student experience at Visit with My Students: https://nocache.staging.artic.edu/learn-with-us/educators/visit-with-my-students

10/09/2022

Art + Activism

Kelly Church is an Ottawa/Pottawatomi/Ojibwe artist, activist and culture keeper. Native artists such as Church have relied on black ash trees to make baskets since time immemorial. Across the United States, however, these trees are being destroyed by the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect. As a fifth-generation basket weaver, Church teaches native youth nature conservation, harvesting, and weaving skills as she learned from her forebears. Inside this work, “Sustaining Traditions—Digital Teachings,” Church has placed a flash drive containing files that record her knowledge for her community.

Classroom Conversation Prompt: What do you care about? What are the current issues that impact you or your community? How might you use your voice and actions to impact change?

Learn more about this work: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/254374/sustaining-traditions-digital-teachings

09/15/2022

Art + History
On this day in Birmingham Alabama,1963

In "The Birmingham Project," Dawoud Bey memorialized the tragic events that took place on September 15, 1963, when Ku Klux Klan members bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young black girls. Later that day two black teenage boys also died in related incidents of racist violence. In each diptych Bey paired a youth of the same age as one of the murdered children with an adult who has reached the age that the six boys and girls would be today. Read More about the work: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/221070/braxton-mckinney-and-lavon-thomas

Dawoud Bey
Braxton McKinney and Lavon Thomas,"" 2012
© 2012 Dawoud Bey
Photography Associates Fund

10/20/2021

Student Activity: Engaging with Works of Art
What new understandings and ideas can we create when we look closely, ask questions, and make connections with works of art? What pulls your attention here—what do you see? What do you wonder?

Engage further with this activity and others on the Educator Resources page: https://www.artic.edu/collection/resources/educator-resources/90-student-activity-engaging-with-works-of-art Use the image provided or search for other artworks that interest you on the museum's website: www.artic.edu/collection.

Charles Sheeler
The Artist Looks at Nature, 1943
Learn more about the work: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/49714/the-artist-looks-at-nature

09/23/2021

Resource Highlight: Art + Language: Story Map
What is the setting of this scene? Who might be the main character? Works of art can suggest vivid stories and be read much like a written text. This activity asks students to look carefully at art works and notice details that reveal the elements of a story. Browse the museum’s collection to select a work to explore or use the image suggested above.

Resource:
https://www.artic.edu/collection/resources/educator-resources/114-art-language-story-map)

Browse the Collection: https://www.artic.edu/collection

Joseph Delaney
Coney Island, 1932

09/06/2021

“Painting is the only weapon I have with which to fight what I resent.”
--Charles White

A Labor Day Reflection through Art
Charles White is recognized for the richness of his graphic work and his paintings, which typically depict aspects of the history, culture, and lives of Black Americans. White’s father was a railroad and steel worker and his mother a domestic worker; this inspired in White a deep respect for labor.

Here White uses his masterful technique to render his subjects--their strong hands and arms, muscle-bounds from years of hard labor in the fields-- with heroic proportions and a deep humanity. The emphasis on the large scythe (an emblem often associated with the Soviet Union)—as well as the social realist sensibilities throughout his work, his travels to the Soviet Union, and his writings for and affiliation with left-wing publications—suggest that Harvest Talk was inspired by socialist ideals.

Charles White Teaching Resource: https://www.artic.edu/collection/resources/educator-resources/23-educator-resource-packet-harvest-talk-by-charles-white

Charles White (American, 1918-1979)
Harvest Talk, 1953

08/16/2021

What a Homeland Is: Six AAPI Artists from the Collection | The Art Institute of Chicago

Learn about remarkable and seldom displayed works made by select Asian American and Asian Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists through, "What a Homeland Is: Six AAPI Artists from the Collection," written by Yi Cao, Director of Administration for the museum’s Arts of Asia collection.

https://www.artic.edu/articles/927/what-a-homeland-is-six-aapi-artists-from-the-collection

When I started working in the museum's Arts of Asia department a year ago, I was thrilled to care for an expansive collection that connects with my cultural heritage and the place of my birth for the first time in my career.

08/06/2021

Spies and Counter Spies | The Art Institute of Chicago

Create a Round-Robin Story
Work together with your family to tell the story unfolding in this artwork. Have someone start the story and write down the first sentence. Pass the paper to the next person to write the next sentence. Repeat this process until everyone has gotten a chance to contribute at least once. Put your sentences together and read your thrilling tale for all to enjoy. For more ideas to engage with works of art see the Get Creative at Home page: https://www.artic.edu/visit-us-virtually/create-and-learn/get-creative-at-home/creative-writing-prompts

Julio De Diego, Spies and Counter Spies, 1941
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/198810/spies-and-counter-spies

Julio De Diego, 1941

07/29/2021

Artists of the Obama White House | The Art Institute of Chicago

COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS:
ARTISTS OF THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE
The Obamas not only selected two groundbreaking contemporary artists, Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, to paint their portraits, but as president and first lady, they also showcased an inclusive art collection while at the White House. This highlights tour accompanies The Obama Portraits exhibition. All featured works are on view at the museum during the exhibition.

Educator Resource on featured artist Alma Thomas: https://www.artic.edu/collection/resources/educator-resources/36-educator-resource-packet-starry-night-and-the-astronauts-by-alma-thomas
The Obama Portraits Exhibition: https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/9507/the-obama-portraits
Highlights Tour: https://www.artic.edu/highlights/36/artists-of-the-obama-white-house

The Obamas not only selected two groundbreaking contemporary artists, Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, to paint their portraits, but as president and first lady, they also showcased an inclusive art collection while at the White House.

07/26/2021

Coloring Book Pages | The Art Institute of Chicago

Art + Self-Care Idea: Color the Classics!
Coloring requires focus and allows us to put aside other thoughts, including stress or worry, to be in the present and complete the task at hand. Spend some time with icons of the Art Institute's collection using these printable coloring pages to recreate or put a fun spin on the classics.

https://www.artic.edu/visit-us-virtually/get-creative-at-home/coloring-book-pages

Spend some time with icons of the Art Institute’s collection with these these printable coloring pages featuring La Grande Jatte, Nighthawks, The Great Wave, and more. Pick your favorite to recreate, or put your own stamp on a timeless classic.

07/19/2021

Educator Resource Packet: Dancing Ganesha | The Art Institute of Chicago

TEACHING AND LEARNING: HOW DO YOU PROBLEM SOLVE?
Ganesha is Hinduism's Lord of Beginnings and Remover of Obstacles. Posed mid-dance he is sure to amuse with his oversized elephant head and rotound belly–but there's more to the story. As the bestower of success, Ganesha's powerful attributes can overcome any challenge. What's a challenge you've recently overcome and how did you do it?

Learn more about the Dancing Ganesha in this educator resource: https://www.artic.edu/collection/resources/educator-resources/19-educator-resource-packet-dancing-ganesha

This sculpture of Ganesha, Hinduism's Lord of Beginnings and Remover of Obstacles, posed mid-dance, is sure to amuse with his oversized elephant head and rotund belly.

07/12/2021

Charged by Power | The Art Institute of Chicago

TEACHING AND LEARNING: EXPLORING DIGITAL INTERACTIVES
Take a closer look, peek under the layers, and discover new research and stories behind objects in our collection using this online tool.

Explore a Vili (Kongo) power figure from the Republic of the Congo: https://www.artic.edu/interactive-features/charged-by-power

The primary task of the nail-studded nkisi was to hunt down evil and wrongdoers.

07/08/2021

Making a Difference: A Tour for Families | The Art Institute of Chicago

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: A TOUR FOR FAMILIES
Learn about five works of art that envision peace, imagine new futures, and create safe and just spaces. Explore the works in this self-guided tour online or in the museum’s galleries, and engage the suggested activities with your family and friends. Think about what you can do to make a difference in your family, in your community, and in the world.

Making a Difference: A Tour for Families: https://www.artic.edu/highlights/37/making-a-difference-a-tour-for-families

All works featured in this tour are on view during The Obama Portraits. Learn more about how to see the portraits: https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/9507/the-obama-portraits

What are things you do to make a difference in your family, in your community, and in the world?

07/06/2021

Marc Chagall's America Windows | Art Institute Essentials Tour | The Art Institute of Chicago

Marc Chagall’s (French, born Vitebsk, Russia {present day Belarus} 1887-1985) America Windows offer a meditation on freedom of expression through the arts. The panels that comprise this work expressively depict (from left to right) music, painting, literature, theater, and dance as well as details such as the Statue of Liberty and the Chicago skyline. Chagall created this work as a gift the Art Institute during America’s bicentennial in 1976. He admired America and took refuge here for several years in the 1940s after fleeing the N***s.

Find tips for teaching this work in this Educator Resource Packet: https://www.artic.edu/collection/resources/educator-resources/13-educator-resource-packet-america-windows-by-marc-chagall

Learn more about Chagall and America Windows through this Art Essentials Tour video: https://www.artic.edu/videos/25/marc-chagalls-america-windows-art-institute-essentials-tour

07/01/2021

Works by Rufino Tamayo (Mexican, 1899-1991) recently installed in gallery 136 help connect the ancient Mesoamerican art historically displayed in this gallery to the modern era. Tamayo was influenced by his Zapotec heritage and study of the kinds of pre columbian sculptures on view here, including the Storyteller Figure from Jalisco (100/800A.D.). Tamayo’s blending of these influences with cubism and other international avant-garde art movements can be seen in his paintings on view, María Izquierdo (1932) and Woman with a Birdcage (1941).

Illinois teachers receive free admission to visit the museum’s galleries. Register here: https://www.artic.edu/educators/visit-on-my-own/educator-admission-request

Learn More about Rufino Tamayo: https://www.artic.edu/artists/36878/rufino-tamayo

Learn more about the Storyteller Figure:
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/73795/storyteller-figure

06/17/2021

Edward Hopper's Nighthawks | Art Institute Essentials Tour

ART ESSENTIALS TOUR: NIGHTHAWKS
Take a closer look at Edward Hopper’s classic American painting and consider how some of its unsettling elements—clashing colors, lack of depth, and no diner door!—are key to its abiding appeal.

Edward Hopper, Night Hawks, 1942

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--hoDMroROw&t=142

On this episode of Art Institute Essentials Tour, take a closer look at Nighthawks, painted by Edward Hopper in 1942.Inspired by “a restaurant on New York’s ...

06/11/2021

FLAG DAY
Today, June 14, is Flag Day. Benny Andrews painted this image of a Black man wrapped in the American flag in 1966 during the Civil Rights era. Titled "Flag Day," this powerful image poses numerous questions, both relevant to the time it was made and resonant in American society today: What ideals are represented by the American flag? Do you think all people have equal access to those rights? Why? What do you think is happening in this image? What do you think this artist was trying to express or communicate? Why?

How can you use your voice and creativity to activate change?

Learn more about Benny Andrews: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/154124/flag-day

Learn more about Art + Activism: https://www.artic.edu/highlights/28/art-activism

06/04/2021

CHARACTER MAPPING
Use clues from works of art and your imagination to make inferences about the lives of the people portrayed. We’ve suggested Archibald Motley’s 1943 work Night Life for this activity but it can be done with any work of art that includes figures.

Use the Character Map resource below to get started. Explore: https://www.artic.edu/collection/resources/educator-resources/86-student-activity-character-map

Learn more about the work of Archibald Motley: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/117266/nightlife

06/01/2021

INSPIRING VIEWS: THE HARTWELL MEMORIAL WINDOW

What view or place inspires you? What are the sights, sounds, smells and feelings that you associate with that place?

More than 100 years ago, Agnes F. Northrop designed this window for Tiffany Studios as a commission from Mary Hartwell in honor of her husband, Frederick Hartwell, for the Central Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island (now Community Church of Providence). Standing over 25 feet high by 18 feet wide, the window depicts lush natural scenery and a distant view of Mount Chocorua in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

It remained housed in the sanctuary of the church until 2018, when the congregation decided to relocate the window to the Art Institute of Chicago, where it could be conserved to ensure its long-term stability. The window is now on view in the museum’s grand staircase.

Learn more about the Hartwell Memorial Window (1917): https://www.artic.edu/artworks/243516/hartwell-memorial-window

05/27/2021

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPT: I WISH I’D HAD A CAMERA
Visualize a moment from your life—a fleeting scene or cherished memory—that you wish you had captured in a photograph. Without stopping to edit, write a stream of descriptive words that evoke the sights, sounds, and feelings of that moment. Share this written memory with a friend or classmate.

Photographer Robert Frank was known for working in the “street” style, using his small camera to quickly capture fleeting moments in everyday life. Stylistically, his work was tied to that of his friend Beat poet Jack Kerouac (American 1922–1969), who often wrote using stream of consciousness, a way of writing that captures a subject’s thoughts and reactions to an event in a continuous flow.

Find more creative writing prompts on the Get Creative at Home Page: https://www.artic.edu/visit-us-virtually/create-and-learn/get-creative-at-home

Robert Frank. Bar, Las Vegas Nevanda, 1955/56

05/25/2021

TEEN POETRY COMPETITION: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 5/30/21!

Teen Poetry Competition

Do you know students interested in poetry, art, spoken word, and prizes? Chicago high school teens are invited to create an original poem inspired by one or both of The Obama Portraits, on view at the Art Institute June 18 through August 15. Poems could be featured on the Art Institute’s website and social media, reviewed by a panel of youth and adult artists, and possibly recognized as a competition winner! Deadline to submit entries is May 23. Get more information and submit poems here: https://form.jotform.com/210734612875053

Learn more about the exhibition here: https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/9507/the-obama-portraits

05/21/2021

CREATE: SELF-PORTRAIT AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY
The title of this work, "Self Portrait and Autobiography" (1948), connects artist Alice Rahon’s creative practice as both a poet and painter. What might we learn about her from what we see in this work? Why? What words would you use to describe this person?

Think of ten words that describe you. If you were to make a “selfie” that incorporates these qualities, how might you make them show? Make that image. Share and compare your self-portrait to those made by friends or classmates. What do you learn about each other?

Alice Rahon was influenced by the surrealist movement and paleolithic cave art found in Mexico, her adoptive home after she immigrated from France in 1939. Learn more about her here: https://www.artic.edu/artists/55561/alice-rahon

Related: The Meandering Paths of Four Artists in Latin America: https://www.artic.edu/articles/830/the-meandering-paths-of-four-artists-in-latin-america