TeachersFirst Art Resources
Updated: April 8, 2002
1925 - Year in Review - This section of a larger art site features works by international artists who were active in the 1920s. It includes images, descriptions, and links to other background material and information. Useful for students learning about 20th century art or the social and cultural history of the period. Individually published.
A Paper Folding Project, Paul Haeberli of Silicon Graphics, Inc.( A C-graphics researcher/professional) Grades 6+ - Follow an illustrated step-by-step procedure to make folded paper sculpture. Use the demo on screen or as a lesson plan. This site also includes links to other studio art ideas and "quickies."
African Art: Aesthetics and Meaning This site is maintained by the University of Virginia and is appropriate for high school and AP classes. It shows unique exhibits with explanations of the pieces shown. The explanations are clear and would be helpful to even the 'not so introspective' student. A teacher could quickly and easily retrieve African American art examples from this site which could be incorporated in Social Science, Art or History classes. Especially useful in multicultural studies.
African Odyssey Grades 9-12 and Teachers. Appropriate for students High School and above as well as a resource for educators. This site is divided into three sections. The first lists African and African American arts and cultural events at the Kennedy Center, in Washington DC and around the world. Another sections contains information and resources for learning and teaching about African arts and culture. The K-12 Teacher’ Resource has many links to organizations dealing with these topics. The Interactive Opportunities section contains links to online discussions, events and educational projects. A very valuable site to those studying African Art and Culture! This site is maintained by the Kennedy Center and sponsored by American Express
Alexander Calder - An Exhibition from the National Gallery of Art - Grades 4-12 - Take an interactive tour through the National Gallery's Calder exhibit. You can click on a sculpture or painting to see details about that work. Use your mouse to pan around the rooms and move from point to point. Requires the Live Picture viewer plug-in, which is available from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
American Art Themes - Grades 6-12 - This section from the National Gallery's education site offers narrative and samples of American art from many themes - portraiture, landscape, abstract, nautical, etc. We wish the thumbnail sized illustrations could be enlarged, and there are no apparent links to larger images. Useful as a planning or study tool for studio or art history.
Animation History - Learn to be Wild - Grades 4-12 - The British Film Institute offers this site which details the evolution of animation from its crude beginnings in the late 19th century to today's sophisticated computer simulations. The site treats animation as an art form, and provides a number of examples of how animation trends mirror those elsewhere in the art world. This site puts an interesting spin on a topic with which most students are already familiar.
Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright - Grades 9-12 -- Listed below at "W."
Architecture Through the Ages - Grade 5-8 - Social studies/art - See images of different architecture styles with a glossary to understand terminology of buildings from Ancient Egypt to modern times. Use this student-made site for preliminary research before starting your own model buildings or as a supplement to the study of these civilizations. Thinkquest Junior winner: third place winner, social studies, 1998.
Art and Culture - Grades 6-12 - Here's a nice resource for retrieving short bios and explanations of people and events in the history of art, music, and other cultural disciplines. While the write-ups aren't remarkable, the use of time lines and other graphical devices helps users understand the relationship of the selection to other events and issues. You'll need the Macromedia Flash/Shockwave player, available from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
Artchive - Grades 7-12 - This smartly designed site offers an expanding collection of digital art images, as well as a half dozen different "exhibitions" and sections dealing with other art and design issues. Good information for teacher use, and also as an idea starter for students.
Artful Minds - Teachers - This site, part of the 1999 ThinkQuest Tomorrow's Teachers contest, presents a selection of strategies for teaching art and linking art and artistic elements to other subjects in the curriculum. These topics include curriculum structure, integrating art with other cultural studies, and ways of introducing art in specific classroom settings.
ArtLex - Grades 6-12 - Here's a no-holds-barred dictionary of art terms and information. Beginners will find the basics; serious students and art history buffs will find additional people, terms, and information. If you need an art definition, this is the place to look.
ArtsEdge, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington - Performing Arts, Music, integrated with all subjects: K-12 - The Kennedy Center presents an excellent set of indexed links by interest area, including materials for integrating the performing arts and music into other curriculum areas. You can download the Cuesheets created for students to introduce them to the many fine programs offered through the Kennedy Center, but these Cuesheets could also be used for study of a play or musician just within your classroom. The Curriculum Studio section of the site includes many lesson plans and units (including handouts!) ready for teacher use in all subject areas, such as Math and Miro. Teachers are also invited to share materials they have created. For students, there are a student sharing area, resources for student research, and SAFE links for student research. You will return here often!
Art Education Resources Grades K-6 Appropriate for teachers and parents of children all ages. This Crayola site has a wealth of information for parents, teachers and students. The areas included are; techniques, lessons (for parents and teachers), dream makers, products, forums, and contests. The "Dream Maker" program is a year long theme program for grades k-6. There is a nominal charge for the teacher’s guide. An excellent site! This site is maintained by the Crayola Company.
Art Education & ArtEdventures - Grades K-8 - There are lots of resources at this site from the Sanford art supply people. There's a nice mixture of lesson ideas - many, many perspective lessons - as well as information for teachers and "just fun" ideas for students. This site would be particularly helpful for regular classroom teachers who don't have an art instruction background.
Art Associations Grades 9-12 and Teachers This site lists links to 14 professional Art Associations. There are also related links from Amateur Photography to Web Design. A search engine is also included in the site. This site is useful for Art Educators in particular. This site is maintained by About.com and updated regularly.
Art History Network Grades 9-12 and Teachers The Art History Network is a resource for Art History, Archaeology, and Architecture resources on the web. The Art and Historical Era section leads to links of various art history eras from Ancient Art to Modern. Each link leads to more links on that particular era including references, magazine/journals, discussions groups, organizations, and jobs. The Artists section and the Civilization sections work similarly. This site is of great value to the Art Historian, Social Studies teacher and Art Educator. This site is maintained by the Art History Network.
Art History Resources Grades 9-12 and Teachers The art history resources index page will lead you to thousands of historically oriented resources. This site includes links to visual arts, performing arts, antiques, literature, architecture, and film. An Arts Search engine is also included in the site. The student or teacher of Art History would find this site invaluable. Site created by the World Wide Arts Resources, Corp.
Art History Resources on the Web Grades 9-12 and Teachers This site contains articles and links to many topics ranging from Prehistoric Art to 20th Century Art (including non-European Art). There are research resources as well as links to museums all over the globe. This is a complete site and excellent resource to the Art History student or teacher. This site is maintained by Chris Whitcomb, Professor of Art History, Sweet Briar College, Virginia.
Art Images for Instruction - Grades K-12 - This is an elegantly-presented collection of royalty-free art images which are copyright-free when used for instructional purposes. The site is broadly divided into time periods, and there are thumbnails for each image. Clicking on a thumbnail will bring up the image in several size options. Wonderful resource for art history or lessons dealing with comparative art styles.
Art of the Italian Renaissance Teachers of the Renaissance period. This beautiful site contains collections of Renaissance Art and provides links on, Pre-Renaissance, Proto-Renaissance, Early 15th Century Renaissance, Late 15th Century Renaissance and the High Renaissance. Articles with pictorial reproductions and links are available. The site includes directions on how to create a slide show. There are links to various museums featuring Renaissance Art. There is also a listing of student workshops available. Created by students at San Diego State Univ.
Art of the Western World Grades 9-12 This site features the 9-program series, Art of the Western World. The programs cover the History of Western Art from the Greek and roman era, through the Renaissance, the Baroque, and Impressionism, to Modern Art in our day. Each area has links to many web sites, including museums and galleries. There are on line versions of exhibits currently running. An excellent resource to the Art Educator and serious Art student. This site was developed by the Annenberg/CPB Projects.
Art of the First World War - Grades 9-12 - This is an international effort to showcase art works created on both sides of the trenches during World War I. Organized roughly by country, the site provides pictures and background information on the various works listed. Interesting resource for a study of the war, or of its impact on twentieth century art.
Art Safari - Grades 4-8 - This site from New York's Museum of Modern Art uses animals as an introduction to art appreciation. Students can view a selection of different art works, make their own observations about what the artist is showing, and learn about the role of art in cultural expression. The site can be used successfully at several different levels.
Art Studio Chalkboard Grades 9-12 These pages are a resource for artists and art students that focus on the technical fundamentals of perspective, shading, color and painting. They were developed by Ralph Larman, art faculty member, Southern Arkansas Univ. Each page contains specific lessons on the topic with examples. An excellent resource for the serious art student. This site developed and maintained by the Southern Arkansas Univ. Art Dept.
Art Teacher on the Net K-12 and Teachers This award winning site contains a wealth of information for art teachers, scout leaders, and parents. There are project ideas, links, and advice. The Art of Many Lands section includes projects from around the world (some written in French!) A great resource!
Asian Art Grades 9-12 and Teachers This on-line journal is dedicated to the study and exhibition of Asian Art. There are links to Asian Art Associations, Exhibitions, articles and Galleries featuring Asian Art. This is an excellent resource for the teacher or student of Asian Art. (A NetGuide Platinum Site)
AskAsia, The Asia Society’s Asian Educational Resource Center - Grades K-12 - World Cultures/Art/ Interdisciplinary - This site has comprehensive information, resources, and teaching materials about Asia and Asian-Americans. There is a virtual art gallery, a large selection of lesson plans, a locator for teaching materials in your region of the U.S., a page to send questions from teachers or students to experts on Asia, a page of interviews with authors about Asia, and a large collection of supplementary teaching materials, such as maps and images. This could be a great resource for familiarizing both teachers and students with Asian topics.
Atelier Nord’s Artists Web Projects, Atelier Nord, Norway’s first Internet art web site - Grades: 9-12 - This web site has images of digital art from 20-25 contemporary Norwegian artists. It could be useful to introduce the digital art medium or to provide images from cutting edge artists.
Birch Tree Art Gallery..Russian Grades 9-12 The Birch Tree Art Gallery is a unique specialist in Russian Impressionist Art. It’s innovative, interactive on-line exhibits are exciting. This Virginia Gallery is one of the few in the United States devoted to Russian Impressionist Art. An interesting site for teachers and students of Russian Art. Site is maintained by Birch Tree Art Gallery.
Chauvet Cave in the Ardeche Region of France, a French National Culture Website - Grades 3+ (vocabulary is high level, images good for all ages) - Discovered in December, 1994, this cave holds multiple cave paintings available on the site as enlargeable images. These images could provide visual stimulation for art lessons on primitive art.
Chinese Calligraphy - Grade 3-6 - Art/ social studies - This student-created site explains about the art of Chinese Calligraphy and includes basic information about the Chinese civilization. The graphics and explanations will make students want to try this new way of communicating. Thinkquest Junior Winner: third place, art and literature, 1998.
Claynet Central, by Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) School district art department - all grades - This site provides information and curriculum ideas for integrating the art curriculum in cooperation with the Everson Museum (Syracuse, N.Y.) to create a multimedia resource on the Internet. Images of student ceramics, links to lesson plans and teacher sharing for all grade levels are available. The site also describes an exciting annual art competition/show for high school students held at Everson museum: Feats of Clay.
Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston - K-12 - This site provides an excellent introduction on how to experience contemporary art which could help prepare any class(and teacher) for any contemporary art field trip, wherever you are. There are also online exhibits formatted to feel as though you are walking through the actual museum, so your class need not even leave school! The valuable art links included within this site are user-friendly.
Contours of the Mind: A Celebration of Fractals, Feedback, and Chaos, Australian National University - Grades 9-12 - This site is an online catalog from an exhibit of sonic and visual art held in 1994. The catalog includes artists’ statements and electronic images. It could be a useful resource for advanced art classes for visual stimulation and examples of digital art and a springboard for discussions of computers’ role in art.
Dallas Museum of Art - Art: This site offers primarily images of works in its collections of art of the Americas, art of Europe, and more, for educational use only.
Edgar Degas, The Web Museum of Paris, written by Nicolas Pioch of the Louvre - Grades 7+ - Pioch provides information and images of Degas’ work and his place in art history, including a 2 page biography and over 12 images. The site also links to related artists to build a context for his work.
Gateway to Art History Grades 9-12 and Teachers This site was developed for use with the textbook, Gardner’s Art Through the Ages. There are numerous links to the web that enhance each chapter in the book. Topics include every era from Ancient Art to the Late 20th Century. Also included are links to museums and galleries all over the world. An excellent resource for the Art Instructor. This site maintained by Harcourt Brace, Inc.
Global Children's Art Project - This site offers a rotating collection of pictures submitted by children from around the world. Students can view pictures in either thumbnails or full size, grouped by age and country, and can also submit their own artwork. Offers interesting perspective on how other cultures see themselves and their world.
Great Buildings Online - Grades 9-12 - This site offers historical, architectural, and design information for dozens of buildings throughout the world. Users can also download software to view three-dimensional models of many of the buildings. Useful site for studying the evolution of construction from the middle ages onward.
Guggenheim Museums Grades 9-12 and Teachers. This site is the home page for the Guggenheim Museums. Macromedia "Flash 3.0" needed the download the collections. This site is well done and worthy of a visit by serious Art students and teachers. Site developed by the Guggenheim Foundation.
Italian Sculpture - the Last 1200 Years - Grades 6-12 - Here is a collection of superb images of Italian sculpture. The catalogue is by artist, and there are special sections on the cities of Florence and Rome. This site is in Italian, but since it's image intensive it's not hard to navigate using the artists' names. Definitely worth a try for art and art history classes.
Japan - Images of a People - Grades 6-12 - This site, from the Smithsonian Institution's "Art to Zoo" series, offers a complete introduction to Japan and its arts, including discussion ideas and lesson activities. All materials are available as downloadable Adobe Acrobat PDF files, so you can print out the entire unit. (A color printer works best, of course.) You can download the Adobe Acrobat reader from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
Kodak Online Picture Playground - Grades 4-8 - Kodak has created a site that lets users upload their own pictures, then alter them with a variety of electronic effects. Users can also experiment with photos found elsewhere on the web. The site also has pointers on photography, composition, and photographic technique. Good site to show how image manipulation has changed the role of photography.
The Cave of Lascaux - Grades 4-12 - This beautiful French site documents the discovery and preservation of the ancient cave paintings discovered in caves outside Lascaux. The site contains explanations of the ancient people who likely created the artwork, its symbolism, and the science behind its preservation. It's an interesting blending of science and art.
Make a Splash with Color - Grades 4-12 - Here's an online color theory lesson with a hands-on twist. Users can select, blend, and manipulate colors in several different ways to experiment with the use of color in different settings. Lots of interesting lesson possibilities.
Mary Cassatt, The Web Museum of Paris, written by Nicolas Pioch of the Louvre - Grades 7+ - Pioch provides information and images of Cassatt’s work and her place in art history, including a 2 page biography and over 12 images. The site also links to related artists to build a context for her work.
Michelangelo - This is an elegantly designed history of Michelangelo created by a web design firm by the same name. The presentation and content are both top-notch, making this one well worth a visit if you're studying Italian Renaissance art.
Michelangelo, no author listed - Grades 9-12 - This site provides over 20 enlargeable images of Michelangelo’s works with small amounts of both English and Italian text. Useful for art history or image ideas in studio art.
Paul Cezanne, The Web Museum of Paris, written by Nicolas Pioch of the Louvre - Grades 7+ - Pioch provides information and images of Cezanne’s work and his place in art history, including a 2 page biography and over 12 images. The site also links to related artists to build a context for his work.
Posters of Toulouse-Lautrec - Grades 6-12 - The San Diego Museum of Art offers this collection of Toulouse-Lautrec posters from the 1890s. There are images of more than a dozen posters, each with a short explanation. Interesting illustrations of the Parisian art scene in the 1890s.
The World of Escher, by The World of Escher (a Texas Corporation) - Grades 4+ - This Escher site includes biographical information from an Oxford scholar, a chronology of Escher’s life, a tessellation contest for upper elementary grades, information for making the art-math connection, and sales information for Escher commercial products. There is also a place for student writing responses to be entered via the Internet.
The Age of Enlightenment in the Paintings of France’s National Museums, France Ministry of Culture - art, history, French: Grades 9-12 - With text available in both French and English, this site provides information on the historical background on the Age of Enlightenment and genealogy of French rulers. An excellent set of links lead to images of historical figures, artwork, and artistic trends of the times. This could be a great start for student research or teacher introductory materials.
The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University - Grades 7+ - This site includes Odyssey Online (a cooperative project with Memorial Art Gallery of University of Rochester), a Website-based series of lessons with activities to teach a "tour" of the art of the Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Excellent teacher resources include specific ideas for teacher implementation. Elsewhere in the site are images from the museum’s collections, emphasizing art of several ancient cultures worldwide.
The Florence Art Guide - Grades 4-12 - This Italian site offers an introductory, museum-by-museum tour of Florence, providing historical background and samples of collections for each location. Good introductory reference for an art or history project, or for a basic introduction to the collections. Easily navigable by students.
The Frick Collection - Grades 6-12 - This site includes a tour of the large art collection which industrialist Henry Clay Frick bequeathed to the people of Pittsburgh at the turn of the century. The site includes detailed reproduction of many of the paintings and other works in the collection.
The Harlem Renaissance - Grades 4-10 - English, Humanities, Social Studies, Music - Introduce students to the incredible body of art, music and literature produced by African Americans during the 1920s. This site by Encarta offers specific information about the musicians, writers, and artists of this era, as well as links to related Encarta articles and websites. Take advantage of The Harlem Renaissance: Creativity and Community, a well-organized lesson plan that encourages students to examine this artistic movement, its causes, and the impact it had on American culture.
Museum sites from around the world
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
The Museum of Modern Art (New York)
The National Gallery (Washington, DC)
The National Museum of American Art (Washington, DC)
The Rodin Museum (Paris) - Web site describing the museum and its collection. Also available in French.
The National Endowment for the Arts- Arts Community - Art, English: Grades 9-12 - In interesting site which includes Hypernarrative on the Web, a new form of writing, with examples. There is also a link to the NEA Gallery online and archives (teacher previewing recommended). The site also features two "artists of the month."
Printmaking - What's in a Print - Grades 4-12 - This site about printmaking from the Museum of Modern Art provides animated illustrations, a gallery of print examples, and explanations of several different printmaking techniques. Elementary students can understand the basic concepts; middle and secondary students can use the demonstrations as a starting point for their own printmaking efforts. Outstanding work - but requires the Flash 5 player, a "must-have: plug-in which is available from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
The Rembrandt House Museum - Grades 9-12 - This is an elegant Dutch site which offers a topic-by topic tour of the Rembrandt House Museum, complete with pictures and detailed explanations.
Diego Rivera Web Museum - Grades 6-12 - This site includes images of a large number of murals and other works by Diego Rivera. Useful as examples for students studying contemporary art, or as an art history resource. This site is also available in Spanish.
Diego Rivera Murals - Grades 6-12 - This site documents a Diego Rivera mural created in San Francisco in 1940 for an exposition there. The site includes both overviews of the mural panels as well as sections showing highly detailed segments of the artwork. An interesting presentation of this resource.
Van Gogh at the National Gallery - This is the web site for the recent Van Gogh exhibit at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. The "images" section provides both descriptions and pictures of the paintings in the exhibition. Click on the paintings for a look at the details of Van Gogh's famous brush stroke technique - the sort of detail you don't usually see on the Web.
Van Gogh - Inside Art - Grades 4-8 - This is a web game for kids which explores Van Gogh's paintings and style, complete with examples and commentary. The structure of the site encourages students to understand both what and why Van Gogh created his impressionist masterpieces. Great supplementary activity for an art class, or an independent exploration for the extra-curious.
Van Gogh Information Gallery - A very complete listing of paintings and other works, along with history, other links, and additional information. This is not a children's site, but would be an excellent source for teachers seeking a variety of examples of how Van Gogh's style evolved over the years.
Visiting a Museum - Family Guidelines - This site from the U.S. Department of Education provides suggestions for children on preparing for a museum visit, and what to do once you get there.
Visual Information in Art - Grades 9-12 - This site offers fairly technical interpretations of how the mind interprets perspective, shadow, and other three-dimensional effects in two dimensional artwork. Developed by a psychology professor, it offers a theoretical framework for developing artistic effects. There's probably more theory here than the average student would need, but the approach could be a helpful foundation.
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA - Grades 9-12 - This site offers enlargable ( and rather slow to load) images of Warhol’s works. More works are being added.
The Work of Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Marin County’s tribute to the designer of their famous civic center. Tour the inside of this amazing building as well as the grounds that surround it. Take your students on a virtual tour of this architectural wonder.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Collection -- Grades 9-12 -- Scholars at the University of Maryland give their picks for the best sites containing Wright’s work. Featured sites include a virtual tour of the Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois.
Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Site includes enlargeable photographs if his major works -- even original drawings of buildings that were never built. Includes an index of Wright’s work and information on how to order Wright’s work on CD-ROM.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio Foundation -- Grades 9-12 -- Learn about the history of one of this century’s leading architects. This site includes descriptions of some of his most famous works including the Frederick C. Robie House as well as his own home and studio in Oak Park. Take your students on a tour of Wright’s home and see where his work began.
Walk Through the World of Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Take a walking tour, sponsored by the Oak Park Visitor’s Bureau, through the streets of Oak Park and River Forest and view some of Wright’s major architectural achievements. Just as though you were on the real walking tour, you can simply click on the names of the buildings to read about these historic sites.
Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin -- Grades 9-12 -- This site is presented by Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program. You’ll find guides of Wright’s work throughout Wisconsin including photographs of the buildings, maps which show how to find them, and, if you’re ever in Wisconsin, numbers to call for a tour. Use this site to compare works done in Wisconsin, such as the SC Johnson Wax Administration Building in Racine, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee, and the Unitarian Meeting House in Madison with other buildings by Wright.
Frank Lloyd Wright Quotations -- Grades 9-12 -- "Truth Against the World" is just one of many quotes by one of this century’s leading architects. In this site, you’ll find Wright’s words on life, architecture, cities, television, god and nature, and even a quote on Marilyn Monroe. Any one of these quotes could be used as a springboard for expository theme writing.
Save the work of Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Did you know that one if every five buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright has been destroyed? This site is sponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, which is dedicated to preserving the buildings he designed. There is a comprehensive gallery of images of his buildings, which take time to download, as well as ideas for how to take action to save the buildings that remain. While this site is commercial, it is a great way to get students involved in action projects.
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