Teacher Workshops 2011–2012
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| Evening with Educators | Registration Form |
| After-School Weekday Workshops | General Information |
| Saturday Workshops | Summer Teacher Institute |
| Registration Information | School Tours |
Workshops are designed to help teachers find meaning and pleasure in the visual arts. These programs introduce art in the Gallery's collection and special exhibitions, explore interdisciplinary curriculum connections, and model methods for teaching with art. All programs include teaching resource materials.
Teachers of all subjects (prekindergarten through grade 12), homeschoolers, and pre-service educators are welcome. Space is limited, so please register early. Registration will be confirmed by e-mail. Registration fees are nonrefundable. Fees are waived for District of Columbia public school teachers with evidence of current employment. The repeat dates indicated will be scheduled if there is sufficient interest in the program.
If you are unable to attend a program for which you are registered, please call (202) 842-6796 or e-mail teacher@nga.gov so that we may accommodate teachers on the waiting list.
J. Carter Brown Memorial Evening with Educators
Warhol: Headlines
Based on the exhibition Warhol: Headlines, this evening event explores Andy Warhol's career-long obsession with the sensational side of mass media. The headline motif is traced though approximately 80 works in various media, including the Gallery's A Boy for Meg (1962), one of his earliest paintings inspired by tabloid news. A major yet previously unexplored theme spanning Warhol's entire career, the headline figures prominently in many of his works dealing with celebrity, death, disaster, contemporary events, and the artist as subject. Tour the exhibition (on view at the Gallery, September 25, 2011–January 2, 2012) and enjoy food, wine, and conversation with colleagues.
Fee: $10
The fee is waived for first-time participants and for past participants registering with a K–12 teacher new to Gallery programs.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 (Session full - Wait list only)
4:00–7:30 p.m.
After-School Weekday Workshops
Conservation Spotlight: Renaissance Altarpieces
How were Italian Renaissance paintings on panel crafted? Through demonstrations and hands-on activities, Brian Baade, art conservator, University of Delaware, shows how wooden panels were gessoed, gilded, and tooled with decorative punch work. He also discusses the different pigments and binders used to make paint, as well as the properties that distinguish oil and egg tempera. By comparing original artwork in the galleries, teachers are then able to identify the visual characteristics of these materials and techniques. This program is particularly appropriate for teachers of science, chemistry, and studio art.
Fee: $10
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 (Session full - Wait list only)
Repeat date: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 (Session full - Wait list only)
4:00–7:00 p.m.
Reinventing Portraiture: Chuck Close and Byron Kim
This workshop explores the work of Chuck Close and Byron Kim—two artists whose portraits mediate between realism and abstraction. Using creative questioning strategies developed by Harvard's Project Zero, this exploration of Close's Fanny/Fingerpainting (1985) and Kim's Synecdoche (1991–present) not only probes issues of representation but also models a teaching methodology that may easily be adapted to classroom use.
Fee: $10
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 (Session full - Wait list only)
Repeat date: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 (Session full - Wait list only)
4:00–6:30 p.m.
The Artist in the Museum
In 1833 Samuel F. B. Morse completed one of his most ambitious paintings—Gallery of the Louvre. Although better known as the inventor of the telegraph, Morse was also an educator and painter. In this monumental canvas (on loan to the Gallery, July 3, 2011–July 8, 2012), Morse depicted an ideal world where art students learn by studying masterpieces of the past. Following this tradition, this workshop offers the opportunity to sketch great works of art in the Gallery. Ranging from novice level to advanced, exercises can be adapted for use at school. This workshop is open to those interested in sharpening their observation skills.
Fee: $10
Saturday, February 4, 2012 (Session full - Wait list only)
Repeat date: Saturday, February 18, 2012 (Spaces still available)
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
From Image to Word
Learn to use art to spark students' enthusiasm for writing in this workshop led by poet Greg Orr. A professor of English at the University of Virginia, Orr will read from his own work and that of other poets inspired by the visual arts. Activities include discussion and the presentation of strategies that use works of art as prompts for creative writing. Teachers of all subjects, grades 5 through 12, are encouraged to participate.
Fee: $10
Saturday, March 10, 2012 (Session full - Wait list only)
Repeat date: Saturday, March 17, 2012 (Spaces still available)
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Please use the workshop registration form to make your request. (PDF 143k) (Download Acrobat Reader)
Cancellations
To cancel, please call (202) 842-6796 or e-mail teacher@nga.gov as soon as possible.
Location and Hours
The National Gallery of Art, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 7th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. See also area map, public transportation, parking.
Floor Plans: West Building | East Building
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, located on the National Mall at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, is bounded by Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive and by 7th and 9th Streets NW.
Accessibility
The 6th Street entrance to the West Building at Constitution Avenue and the 4th Street entrance to the East Building each have ramps to accommodate visitors in wheelchairs. Teacher workshop participants requesting accommodation for special needs should call (202) 842-6796 three weeks before the program date. A Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) is available at (202) 842-6176. A TDD for use by visitors is located at the public telephone adjacent to the stamp machine near the Concourse sales shops. This TDD can accommodate wheelchair users.
Parking
Metered street parking for cars and vans is available along the Mall. Buses may let students off at the entrance noted on your confirmation sheet. Parking for buses is usually allowed only on Independence Avenue near the Washington Monument.
Public Transportation
The nearest Metro stops are Judiciary Square on the Red Line, Archives/Navy Memorial on the Yellow/Green Lines, and Smithsonian on the Blue/Orange Lines. Metro bus stops are located on 4th Street and 7th Street NW. DC Circulator bus stops are located at 4th Street and Madison Drive and at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.
Further information about Metrorail and Metrobus routes and schedules is available at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority website. The WMATA RideGuide website provides a fast and easy way to plan your visit to the Gallery.
Taxicabs are easily hailed in most areas of the city and often wait for Gallery patrons between the East and West Buildings on 4th Street NW.
Security
Visitors will be asked to present all bags and parcels for inspection. All backpacks, luggage, oversized bags, parcels, and umbrellas must be left in the checkrooms. These items will be subject to x-ray screening prior to acceptance. We regret that we are unable to accommodate any items larger than 17 x 26 inches (43 x 66 cm) into the Gallery or its checkrooms. Checkrooms located at the entrances to both the East Building and the West Building are provided free of charge. We recommend that students leave their backpacks at school or on the bus to prevent entry delays.
Museum Shops
Reproductions, exhibition catalogues, and books about the collections are available to educators at a 20% discount by mail order only. For more information, call (202) 842-6002 or (800) 697-9350.
Event Calendars
Find out what's happening this month at the National Gallery of Art. The current bimonthly calendar of events is available in PDF format (Download Acrobat Reader)
To obtain a free bimonthly calendar of events by mail, call (202) 842-6662, or contact us by e-mail at calendar@nga.gov.
To receive a free quarterly film calendar by mail, contact us by e-mail at film-department@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address.
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