SPARK tails artists Jim Denevan and Cris Drury as they create large earth works. This Educator Guide is about the history and tradition of artists making work in and about the natural environment.

This course encourages students to develop an interest in and appreciation for art in all its variety, and promotes expression of this appreciation in an informed and critical way. Upon successful completion of this course, student will be able to: provide several different definitions of the term "Visual arts"; explain the debates that surround the act of defining art; list and discuss some of the roles that the visual arts have historically played; define and apply terms used to describe and analyze a work of visual art; describe and discuss works of visual art using appropriate vocabulary; define and explain in a technical fashion the different methods, mediums, and materials that artists use to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of visual art; compare and contrast different methods, mediums, and materials artists use to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of visual art; identify the important stylistic developments in the history of art; compare and contrast the artistic styles that have defined different historical eras and geographies; demonstrate an awareness of the importance of acknowledging cultural and historical contexts when approaching art. (Art History 101)

This course is an exploration of visual art forms and their cultural connections for the student with little experience in the visual arts. It includes a brief study of art history and in depth studies of the elements, media, and methods used in creative processes and thought. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: interpret examples of visual art using a five-step critical process that includes description, analysis, context, meaning, and judgment; identify and describe the elements and principles of art; use analytical skills to connect formal attributes of art with their meaning and expression; explain the role and effect of the visual arts in societies, history, and other world cultures; articulate the political, social, cultural, and aesthetic themes and issues that artists examine in their work; identify the processes and materials involved in art and architectural production; utilize information to locate, evaluate, and communicate information about visual art in its various forms. Note that this course is an alternative to the Saylor Foundation’s ARTH101A and has been developed through a partnership with the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; the Saylor Foundation has modified some WSBCTC materials. This free course may be completed online at any time. (Art History 101B)

Watch this short video and try to identify the location of the sculptures. Then see how art and these sculptures relate to the science of mathematics.

Students learn how forces are used in the creation of art. They come to understand that it is not just bridge and airplane designers who are concerned about how forces interact with objects, but artists as well. As "paper engineers," students create their own mobiles and pop-up books, and identify and use the forces (air currents, gravity, hand movement) acting upon them.

In this course, the student will study the art of Classical Antiquity. The different units of the course reflect the main chronological stages in art development in Ancient Greece and Rome, from the coming together of the Greek city-state and the emergence of Ňgeometric art (around 900 B.C.) to the fourth century A.D. shift that took place within Roman culture and art due to the growing influence of Christianity. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: Explain why ancient Greek and Roman art can be studied together as Ňthe art of Classical Antiquity; Trace the timeline of major events in Ancient Greece and Rome; Link important developments in the history of Ancient Greece and Rome to specific geographical contexts; Explain how important historical developments and social-historical contexts had an impact on artŐs evolution in Ancient Greece and Rome; Identify the important stylistic and technical developments of Ancient Greek and Roman art; Discuss important artworks, presenting relevant information on each workŐs historical context and constitution; Discuss important artists in terms of the style of their work. (Art History 202)

Offers a foundation in the visual art practice and its critical analysis for beginning architecture students. Emphasis on long-range artistic development and its analogies to architectural thinking and practice. Learn to communicate ideas and experiences through various two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and time-based media, including sculpture, installation, performance, and video. Lectures, visiting artist presentations, field trips, and readings supplement studio practice. Required of and restricted to Course 4 majors. Lab fee.

This course will examine the history of Western art from approximately 1600 to approximately 1800 period that bridges the gap from the Renaissance to the earliest days of the Modern era. Beginning with the Baroque in Counter-Reformation Italy and concluding with Neoclassicism in the late 18th century, the student will trace the stylistic developments in Europe and America through a variety of religious, political, and philosophical movements. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: Identify works of art from the Baroque, Rococo, Enlightenment, and Neoclassical periods and be able to distinguish between these different periods; Discuss and identify the oeuvre of the major artists working in Western Europe from 1600-1800; Explain and identify the regional and cultural differences between works of art produced in the same period (i.e., Baroque, Rococo, Enlightenment, or Neoclassical); Recognize important works of art from the Baroque through Neoclassical periods, recalling such information as date of creation, artist, patron (if known), medium, and period; Recognize the features (stylistic and iconographic) typical of each period studied; Explain and discuss the general arc of Western history from approximately 1600-1800, as seen through the lens of the arts; Explain the forces influencing the change in style and subject matter in Western art from 1600-1800; Discuss the sources of influence (from previous historical periods as well as from neighboring geographical regions) that affected art produced from the Baroque to Neoclassical periods; Compare and contrast works of art from the Baroque through Neoclassical periods to those of other periods and cultures; Describe the methods and materials used to create works of art from the Baroque to Neoclassical periods; Explain the ways in which Baroque, Rococo, Enlightenment, and Neoclassical art reveal the social, religious, and political mores of their respective times and places. (Art History 207)

Boston based artists discuss the meaning of Black art. Host Jim Spruill leads a discussion among 17 Boston-based artists on what Black art is and to whom the Black artist speaks. Group assembled includes Orma Jo Flint, Steve Hussein, Hakim Jami, Bob Nellums, Joanne Robinson, Robert Ruff, Joanne Sanders, Ralf Coleman, Ali Yusef, Carolyn Fitchert, Charles Holley, Gary Rickson, Dana Chandler, Jr., Lovett Thompson, John Wilson, and Elma Lewis. Program includes stills of the work of featured painters and sculptors woven into the discussion, with featured performances by the musicians, dancers and poets. Featured performers include Ali Yusef Trio and the Negro Repertory Theatre. Produced by Ray Richardson. Directed by Stan Lathan.

This Web site, created to complement an American Museum of Natural History exhibition, reports on The New York Times Magazine's millennium time capsule project and offers insight into the concept of time.

This lesson is a follow-up lesson to the Changes in a Democratic Society, Lessons 1 and 2 of 3. Students will reflect upon and respond to a sculpture by Auguste Rodin, "Monument for the Defense of Paris."

Artists across cultures and throughout time have sought to incorporate the multifaceted connections between past and present in their artworks. In many ways, Catlin's lifelong quest and the eventual creation of his "Indian Gallery" can be seen as an attempt to connect what he felt to be the "past" of American Indian society to the "present" of nineteenth-century westward expansion by European Americans. As is evident today, Native American culture is very much alive and present in the fabric of America. Catlin, however, made it clear that he viewed his subjects as a "vanishing race" and sought to preserve their images for future generations. In this activity, students will create their own memory box, linking the past and the present, and in so doing examine Catlin's ideas and motives.

Students will be creating an original papier-mâché mask that expresses an emotion. In doing this, they will be expanding upon their knowledge of representing the human face while further developing technical skills in papier-mâché sculpture and acrylic painting.

Sculptor Ruth Asawa has been associated with some of the most notable figures in American 20th century art: Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns. This Educator Guide is dedicated to highlighting arts education in the Bay Area and the model programs established by Asawa and her family.

SPARK visited veteran ceramic artist Viola Frey in the last months of her life when she continued to work from a wheelchair with the help of a mechanized lift and devoted assistants to create her monumental figures. This Educator Guide is about the history of ceramics and the contributions of Bay Area artists, including Frey.

Sha Sha Higby's artworks are moving sculptures worn in performances the artist choreographs. This Educator Guide explores traditions of pageantry and theatre, including the masquerade of the Venetian Carnevale, African tribal dancing, Japanese Noh theater and Kabuki, and Commedia dell'Arte.

In this course, we will study important movements and some influential artists in Western art history. It begins with the Proto-Renaissance in Italy in the 13th century and continues through to the late 20th century, providing a framework for considering how and why certain artistic movements emerged in certain places at certain times. Upon successful completion of this course, student will be able to: identify the major styles of works of art in the West from the Italian proto-Renaissance through contemporary art; explain how political, social, and religious ideas inform art styles and images; explain prevalent artistic and architectural techniques developed through the period covered; eiscuss formal aspects of works of art in terminology basic to the field; recognize important artworks and describe them in terms of their form, content, and general history of their creation. (Art HIstory 111)

The student will focus on becoming literate in the art of the Italian Renaissance, on identifying the effects that the Renaissance had on the arts of Italy, and discovering the ways in which specific historical developments impacted those arts from the end of the thirteenth century to the end of the sixteenth century. The Renaissance, a European phenomenon that began to develop in the late thirteenth century, refers to a marked shift in the ways in which individuals perceived their world. A new outlook was emerging that was characterized by, among other things, increased humanism and a renewed interest in the cultures of Classical Antiquity (and all within a Christian framework). There is no specific date that marks the beginning of the Renaissance, but its burgeoning effects on art can be detected earlier in Italy than in other areas. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: Define the term Renaissance and identify its modes of expression in the art of Italy; Place the major artistic developments of Italian Renaissance art along a timeline and characterize the art of different periods within the Renaissance; Situate different artists, artworks, and artistic practices within their respective regions or cities; Explain how specific historical contexts, events, and figures affected Italian Renaissance art; Describe specificities in interests and style as they apply to the work of important artists of the Renaissance; Recognize important artworks and describe them in terms of their form, content, and general history of their creation; Explain the role of art and artists during the Renaissance in Italy; Discuss specific artistic techniques used during the Renaissance in Italy. (Art History 206)

This fun Web article is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they explore the geological and cultural significance of jade. The article begins by introducing kids to Museum scientist George Harlow and his jade scrapbook. Jade Around the World has annotated snapshots of diverse objects made out of jade, including rice bowls and teapots from ancient China, Maori war clubs, Persian spoons, and ear spools worn by the ancient Maya. What Makes Jade Special explains the two rocks (nephrite and jadeite) that share this name and examines their colors and patterns, translucency, durability, and what it takes to grind jade into different shapes. How Jade Forms looks at how jadeite is like a time capsule, holding important clues to the Earth's big events, and how it is analyzed in the lab. Hunting for Jade travels to Guatemala and Myanmar (Burma) to examine the mystery of Mesoamerican jade and a huge mine in Southeast Asia. Jade Today has snapshots showing how the stone is valued and used worldwide.