National Gallery of Art

As “art investigators,” students will look for clues to help them understand portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes, and learn about people and places from the past. This tour will introduce students to the museum and show them how to look closely at works of art. 

As “art investigators,” students will look for clues, explore artists’ choices, and use their imaginations to learn about modern and contemporary art. This tour will introduce students to the museum and the basic elements of art. 

Art Tales is a tour designed for the Gallery’s youngest learners. This tour includes the reading of Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, exploration of two works of art, and an art-making experience.

Paintings are more than just pictures in a frame—they are unfolding stories with multiple perspectives. During this tour, students will learn to "read" works of art by identifying characters, setting, and plot, and by imaginatively creating dialogue inspired by characters in the works of art.

If you could step into a landscape, what would you hear or feel? This tour explores how artists depict the natural world and invites students to use their imaginations while exploring art and themes of nature.