Art on Display

To assemble and organize material for presentation, such as artwork or music.

A gathering of objects or items often with shared qualities, such as works of art, baseball cards, sunglasses, etc.

An institution that cares for a collection of artifacts or other objects of artistic, cultural, historic, or scientific importance. Museums often display portions of their collections for the public to view and learn about.

A widely held but fixed and oversimplified idea of a particular type of person or thing.

When one country takes control of another country or region in order to expand their own resources or influence.

Look closely at this work of art.

• What do you wonder about?
• By looking closely, what might you learn about the person who is the subject of this sculpture?
• If you were able to travel back in time and watch this sculptor at work, what questions would you ask her?
• Imagine if the figure’s arms and hands were visible. Strike a pose that reveals ways the arms and hands could enhance the figure’s pose. Why did you choose this particular movement?
• Imagine the artist had sculpted the entire body of James Peck Thomas. If you’re comfortable, demonstrate how the figure would stand, walk, or dance. What do you see that informs your ideas?

Looking extension

• If you were to sculpt a bust of someone you knew, who would it be? Where would you display it and why would you display it in this way?  Sketch an image of your sculpture on display.

•  If this image were the inspiration for a story, what type of story would it be? What do you see that makes you say that?
• How does this space make you feel?  What emotions arise while you are looking closely? What do you see that makes you say that?
• Imagine drifting in a boat through this scene. How would you describe your surroundings?  Write a letter home and describe what you see, hear, and smell around you in this scene.

Follow the link below to view highlighted works of art for this section, explore looking prompts, and learn more about each work of art.

Consider the stories that objects might hold. Interview a family member or friend about an object that is special to them. What stories did they share about how they acquired the object? What makes the object special or meaningful to this person? What places, if any, did this object travel to or from?

Write an essay that shares the story you learned about the object and its relationship to your friend or family member.

Extension
Reflect on and respond to the question: What was challenging about telling another person’s object story?

As a class, gather a collection of objects by having each student choose one object to bring to class to share. This could be a meaningful object from home or a found object from school, home, or another location. Gather the objects together in a central place so that they can be viewed collectively. Group the objects by color, texture, or type. Discuss the variety of objects that you see in the classroom collection. Explore any relationships between objects or groups of objects, such as similar colors, textures, or styles. Are there other relationships or themes that connect your class collection?

As a class, create a display to share your collection. Consider whether one of the themes or connections discussed above will inform your display. Decide as a group on a title for your display.

Choose a selection of images from this educational resource that you would like to work with. Print the images and cut them out. In pairs or small groups, organize the works of art into a display. Write an introductory panel that explains the themes of your exhibition. Present your display to the class and share why you chose the artworks and why you organized them in the way that you did. What different stories did you and your classmates discover or create as you curated your unique exhibitions?

Choose one artwork from this section that you like. Explore this object in more detail. If possible, research about the artwork and the artist who created it. Imagine you have one chance to convince your school principal to buy this work of art for the school. Write an argument to persuade them the school needs this artwork. Consider: What do you like about the work of art? What would make others want to look at it? Why would it be important for the school to have? What would it add to the school environment? Would it help the students learn something?

In this section we learned about the history and development of the Saint Louis Art Museum. We also learned about a variety of objects that each tell unique and diverse stories.

Explore your school or neighborhood. Search for buildings or objects that tell a bit about the history of the place and the people who have passed through there. Choose one building or object to focus on and make a drawing of it.

Research more about the building or object. Some historical places have plaques that share information about the location. Some buildings have names that you can research at a library or online, such as the Saint Louis Art Museum. Some objects can also be researched in books or on the internet. See what you can discover about the building or object. What has potentially been overlooked in accounts of the building or object?

Using details that you discovered as you observed, drew, and researched your building or object, write a label for your drawing that shares what you learned.

Create a trading card for one of the artworks in this section. Consider the following questions as you plan your design:

• What would you want to share about this artwork?
• What, if anything, would you like to share about the artist who created it?
• What images do you want to include on your trading card?
• What words do you want to include on your trading card?
• What colors will you use?
• What other design elements do you want to include?

Create your trading card. Share it with other students in your class. You might even want to trade cards with a friend or classmate.

Early Morning after a Storm at Sea by Winslow Homer is a painting that shows active waves. This painting depicts the morning after a storm. Illustrate a story using only pictures (no words) that reveals what you imagine happened before, during, and after the storm.  How does the ocean change?  What would you find?  What characters might you include?

Write a haiku inspired by one of the artworks in this section. Haiku is a Japanese style of poetry that is written in the present tense and often contains words related to nature. Haikus are made up of three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second has seven syllables, and the last line has five syllables. Utilize this structure to create your own poem. If you feel inspired, write several haikus. Collect your haikus in a journal or share with classmates.

Haiku example
Summer breeze whispers
Melodies of peace and rest
Flutter amidst seas

In this section we studied a variety of artworks that were made using weaving techniques, such as baskets and textiles. Weaving is an artistic process that layers and links materials together to create a design or functional object. Woven objects can be made from a variety of materials, such as yarn, fabric, grass, and paper. Follow the instructions below to practice your own weaving techniques. Experiment with weaving different materials that you can find. What is unique about weaving with paper, yarn, or fabric scraps? What other materials can you experiment with?

The content in this resource has been designed to align with Missouri and Illinois state learning standards and competencies across a variety of grade levels. For each section we have highlighted a selection of social studies and visual arts standards that have strong connections to the content and activities presented. There are a number of other standards and content areas, such as English language arts, that may also connect with these resource materials. Select the links below for access to key standards and related resources.