Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Visit the Nasher Museum of Art to take in the special exhibits as well as the permanent displays of classical antiquities, European medieval art, European and American paintings, African art, and ancient American art.

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• Rhythm, pattern, color, and texture in art and poetry In this lesson, students will discover the meaning of "rhythm," "patterns," "color," and "texture" through the performance and modeled analysis of a class "symphony." Students will also evaluate the impact of each element on the whole work and note personal reactions and connections to this art form. Students will then work in small groups to apply the same elements and personal evaluation and connections to a historical work of visual art. At the end of the lesson, students will reflect on ways these two experiences are similar.
• Of earth, water, and fire: World pottery traditions In this lesson, a photo analysis activity helps students learn about pottery traditions from around the world. Students discuss how these traditions are similar to and different from one another.
• Inside Art During an art museum tour, you're sucked into a vortex and find yourself inside a mystery painting. Your only hope of escape is to answer the questions "who, what, when and how". Includes an online quiz and study worksheet.
• Eyecon Art History This page on art history provides hundreds of images of artworks, along with information on the history behind the art and analysis of artistic techniques

Related pages

• North Carolina State University Gallery of Art and Design: Guided tours of the NCSU Gallery of Art and Design's collections and exhibitions are available for school groups.
• The Scrap Exchange: Tap into your students creativity with a trip to the Scrap Exchange in Durham. Donated scrap materials that were destined for the landfill can be used to make fun art projects and help students learn the importance of recycling.
• Geometry and art: Art museum visit: This lesson is the second in a three-part unit integrating math, writing and visual arts. In this lesson students apply their knowledge of geometry by sorting, classifying and counting plane geometric figures during a visit to the art museum to look at and compare twentieth- century paintings. Students then collect data and share what they observe.

Related topics

• Learn more about Duke University, Durham County, art, art museum, and fine art.

Legal

The Nasher Museum of Art opened in October 2005 and has hosted a number of exhibits including the very successful “El Greco to Velázquez: Art during the Reign of Philip III.” “Its permanent collection displays feature selections from their holdings of classical antiquities, European medieval art, European and American paintings, African art and ancient American (Pre-Columbian) art.”

Their free, guided school tours take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 AM and 11 AM and Fridays at 10 AM. Regular school tours for grades K-12 at the Nasher Museum of Art will resume in January 2009. To schedule a tour, contact Julie Thomson, Associate Curator of Education, at 919.684.8816, or NasherEd@duke.edu

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