Activities
These activities focus on works of art in the Whitney’s collection and special exhibitions. Through discussion, research, art making, and writing activities, we hope to encourage close looking, foster conversation between students, and connect artwork to classroom learning. Learn about our four artist-centered themes.
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2017
The Essence of War
Explore and discuss images of war -
Moods of the Seasons
Pick a month fo the year and make a mood painting or drawing -
Sketches from Everyday Life
Make a photo-journal of everyday life -
Moving Sculptures
Discuss how Alexander Calder's sculpture might move -
Joseph Stella, The Brooklyn Bridge: Variation on an Old Theme, 1939
Find and describe neighborhood monuments. -
The Modern World
Compare works by Charles Demuth and Joseph Stella -
William Wegman, Crow, 1970
Change a photograph. -
Edward Ruscha, Hudson, Amarillo, Texas, 1962, from Twentysix Gasoline Stations, 1963
Create an art book. -
Lorna Simpson, 2 Tracks, 1990
Create a new kind of portrait. -
Glenn Ligon, Untitled (I Do Not Always Feel Colored), 1990
Connect art and writing. -
Georgia O'Keeffe, Summer Days, 1936
Create a word wall. -
Elie Nadelman, Tango, c. 1919
Be a dancer. -
Edward Hopper, Early Sunday Morning, 1930
Think about where you live. -
Jacob Lawrence, War Series: The Letter, 1946
Write a letter. -
Wade Guyton, Untitled, 2008
Embrace mistakes in your artwork. -
David Hammons, Untitled, 1992
Make art from trash. -
Richard Estes, The Candy Store, 1961
Think about different places. -
Jay DeFeo, The Rose, 1958-66
Create a layered artwork. -
Charles Demuth, My Egypt, 1927
Explore American monuments. -
Arthur Dove, Ferry Boat Wreck, 1931
Think about abstraction. -
Oscar Bluemner, A Situation in Yellow, 1933
Make a place from shapes. -
Alexander Calder, Calder’s Circus, 1926-31
Imagine a Circus. -
Ralston Crawford, Steel Foundry, Coatesville, Pa, 1936-37
Describe a place. -
Richard Artschwager, Description of Table, 1964
Play with descriptive language. -
Romare Bearden, Eastern Barn, 1968
Make a memory collage. -
Charles Burchfield, Noontide in Late May, 1917
Capture the energy and mood of a place. -
Lee Bontecou, Untitled, 1961
Create a group poem. -
America Is Hard to See
Explore the Exhibition Title -
Robert Indiana, The X-5, 1963
Explore artistic influences. -
Stuart Davis, Owh! in San Paõ, 1951
Make everyday objects exciting.
127 pages