A Hindu temple can be a simple structure by the side of the road or a large complex including many buildings. Temples serve as dwelling places for deities, surrounded by markets selling offerings and flowers. The inner sanctuaries are small and intended for a few worshippers at a time. Above the sanctuaries are central towers, shaped like the mountain home of the gods and brightly painted. Created by Asian Art Museum.

This week we tackle the intersection of art and our changing climate. Throughout history, art has helped reveal the climate around us and highlight our fragile relationship to it. We look at navigational charts from the Marshall Islands, Katsushika Hokusai’s "Under the Wave off Kanagawa", Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s "Hunters in the Snow", Mali's Great Mosque of Djenné, the Ise Shrine in Japan, steadily sinking Venice, the cave paintings of Lascaux, and Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, among others.

Can art save lives? Not exactly, but our most prized professionals (doctors, nurses, police officers) can learn real world skills through art analysis. Studying art like René Magritte's Time Transfixed can enhance communication and analytical skills, with an emphasis on both the seen and unseen. Amy E. Herman explains why art historical training can prepare you for real world investigation. Lesson by Amy E. Herman, animation by Flaming Medusa Studios Inc.

Speakers: Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

Giovanni Bellini, Madonna of the Meadow, c. 1500, oil and egg on synthetic panel, transferred from wood, 67.3 x 86.4 cm (The National Gallery) Speakers: Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris.

A video from the Utah System of Higher Education (with special thanks to Dr. Nancy Ross) . Created by Nancy Ross.

A video from the Utah System of Higher Education (with special thanks to Dr. Nancy Ross) . Created by Nancy Ross.

Was da Vinci an artistic genius? Sure, but he was also born in the right place at the right time -- pre-Renaissance, Western artists got little individual credit for their work. And in many non-Western cultures, traditional forms have always been prized over innovation. So, where do we get our notions of art vs. craft? Laura Morelli traces the history of how we assign value to the visual arts. Lesson by Laura Morelli, animation by Sandro Katamashvili.

How does an artist use light to help keep us out of the dark? Using three artworks from the Art Institute's collection, this video unpacks a central theme and uses innovative visual storytelling to highlight the choices artists made to create light and shadow in their works. Art Explainer videos empower you to look at and understand art from any historical period or culture. Designed for students as well as adults, this video series is produced for the web and usable in a wide range of learning environments, from mobile devices to formal school classrooms. The following works from the Art Institute of Chicago appear in this video: Tanner, The Two Disciples at the Tomb, Kollwitz, Battlefield, Flavin, “monument” for V. Tatlin

A video from the Utah System of Higher Education (with special thanks to Dr. Nancy Ross). Video by Ydraw. Created by Nancy Ross.

Should art be beautiful? Revisit ancient philosophers' thoughts on beauty and consider why we might be skeptical of beauty today. From The Art Assignment.

Beth and Steven ask, "Must art be beautiful?" looking at Pablo Picasso's, The Old Guitarist, late 1903 - early 1904, oil on panel, 122.9 × 82.6 cm (Art Institute of Chicago, © 2018 Estate of Pablo Picasso). speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Beth Harris, Steven Zucker, and Smarthistory.

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has an extensive section devoted to educational resources for both educators and students. One example is a pdf or online accessed text on the Dutch Golden Age. This is comprehensive in both history and art objects and is clearly written. There are more images than text, but the sections that are included are instructive. Other topics include the Italian Renaissance, Art since 1950, a module on Arts and Crafts, American Art since the colonial period, etc. Some material is geared toward younger learners, but much of it is appropriate for an introductory, or even next level, art history class. There is no licensing statement, although it is copyrighted. There are teacher resources available as well including assessments and images. Individual teaching packets come with 20 slides, 12 11 x 14 reproductions, a cd with jpgs, and a separate classroom activity guide.

A video from the Utah System of Higher Education (with special thanks to Dr. Nancy Ross) . Created by Nancy Ross.

This video is part of the Art Institute of Chicago's Art Explainer series. How does what you see in an artwork tell you how to look? Using three artworks from the Art Institute's collection, this video unpacks a central theme and uses innovative visual storytelling to highlight the choices artists made to shape form and meaning in their works. Ultimately, it shows that each of us already possesses a powerful tool for making sense of art: looking closely. Art Explainer videos empower you to look at and understand art from any historical period or culture. Designed for students as well as adults, this video series is produced for the web and usable in a wide range of learning environments, from mobile devices to formal school classrooms. The following works from the Art Institute of Chicago appear in this video: Grant Wood, American Gothic; Yoruba Crown from Nigeria; Gustave Caillebotte, Paris Street; Rainy Day; Cindy Sherman, Untitled #92. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

The Met Museum in New York is a treasure trove of art, filled with masterpieces of human creativity, but what if it *wasn't* organized geographically or by time period? Is there a better way?

This is the Renaissance Art overview video for TICE ART 1010, a video from the Utah System of Higher Education. Created by Nancy Ross.

Every year, 25,000 British Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca. As part of the exhibition, Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam, the British Museum asked what this journey is like... ©Trustees of the British Museum.

What makes paintings feel as deep as the view from a window or as flat as a wall? Using three artworks from the Art Institute's collection, this video unpacks a central theme and uses innovative visual storytelling to highlight the choices artists made to shape form and meaning in their works. Ultimately, it shows that each of us already possesses a powerful tool for making sense of art: looking closely. Art Explainer videos empower you to look at and understand art from any historical period or culture. Designed for students as well as adults, this video series is produced for the web and usable in a wide range of learning environments, from mobile devices to formal school classrooms. The following works from the Art Institute of Chicago appear in this video: Poussin, Landscape with St. John on Patmos; Harnett, For Sunday’s Dinner; Mondrian, Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray