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STAFF DIRECTORY

EDUCATORS' WORKSHOPS 2009-2010

Teachers and docents who attend Educator Workshops discover information-packed professional development sessions based on works of art and related classroom activities. Through these 2.5 hour workshops, educators from all grade levels and subject areas develop strategies for incorporating the art of world cultures into the classroom curriculum. Certificates of participation are provided for those seeking recertification credits. A series of teacher workshops is also offered on-site at VMFA—and be sure to check back throughout the year for the latest information about the 2010 VMFA Summer Institutes for Teachers!

Sponsorship Policies and Booking Procedure

Choose from these offerings suggested for Elementary level, Middle and High-School level,
or All Ages

Elementary Level

Art History through Children’s Literature
Don’t miss this unique and entertaining exploration of art through books for children and young adults. This adventure includes discussions of picture books, chapter books, and non-fiction works that reflect many cultures and time periods. Discover new publications and reinvigorate old favorites.

Our Classical Heritage: Greece and Rome
What can you learn from Greek vases, Roman coins, marble statues, and golden jewelry? Find out in this hands-on workshop that explores the natural resources, architecture, politics, and sports of ancient Greece and Rome.

A Trip to the Tropics: Armchair Adventures with Henri Rousseau
French painter Henri Rousseau is perhaps best known for his tropical landscapes, at times dreamy and surrealistic, and always lush and brimming with life. In this workshop, participants investigate the man known as the Douanier, or Customs Officer, and his imaginative sojourns deep into jungle landscapes—and create our their exotic settings for armchair adventures! This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

Weather!
From thunderstorms on raging seas to sunny skies above pleasant gardens, artists have used weather phenomena to create mood, movement, and contrast in works of art. What’s the prediction? Designed especially for elementary art, science, and English teachers, this workshop includes art projects and creative writing assignments that relate to the weather-related components of the Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change and Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems strands in the Virginia SOLs. (Designed for grades 2–5).

Middle and High School Levels

American Myths of the Wild West
As 19th-century landscape paintings sparked romantic interest in America's untamed wilderness, dime novels fueled the fantastic imagery with colorful depictions of human conquest and calamity. This workshop explores the paintings, novels, and films that contributed to American myths. This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

Bright Lights, Big City: Paris at the End of the 19th Century
After over 80 years of revolutions, violence, and political instability, it is easy to understand why the period of peace, prosperity, and culture that followed between roughly 1890 and 1914 is called the Belle Epoque (Beautiful Period). This workshop examines the visual art, literature, politics, and social conditions that informed this robust period and ultimately led to the war that did not end all wars. This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

Chasing the Illusive Image: The Origins of Photography
Although the notion of photography goes back at least to the fifth century B.C.E. when Chinese philosopher Mo Ti described the principle of the Camera Obscura, photography as we know it today was not officially announced to the world until 1839. In this Educator workshop, participants investigate the almost simultaneous development of two different systems of photography in France and in England. This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

Free Market: the Rise of the Merchant Class and the Ukiyo-e Print in Edo Period Japan
During the Edo Period (1603-1868), Japanese society was in the midst of important changes, with the merchant class growing in size, wealth, and power. Perhaps the most well known art form that gained popularity during this period was the woodblock print. This workshop investigates Edo Period Japan through the contemporary ukiyo-e images of the landscape, life, and interests of the rising class of townspeople.

The Gilded Age through the Artist’s Eye
The Gilded Age is a fascinating era in American history, linked closely to England’s Edwardian Age and France’s Belle Epoque. Workshop participants investigate this rich historical period, from the costume balls of the moneyed set to the medical advances of the scientific community, through the eyes of artists such as John Singer Sargent, James Abbot McNeill Whistler, and Thomas Eakins. This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

A Horse of Course: The Equine Image in Art
Of the thousands of examples of rock art found at Lascaux, at Niaux, at Vallon-Pont-d'arc and other sites across France and Spain, nearly a third of the figures represent horses. In this workshop, participants look at the horse in art history, tracing the ways in which artists have used the horse as subject matter over the millennia. This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

Light and Color: Art, Science, and Perception
How is the eye like a camera? Why does color seem to change as the background changes? Learn the answers to these and many other questions in this investigation of light and color. (Designed for middle and high school levels.)

Lessons of the Indian Epic Poem, the Ramayana
The great Indian epic poem—the Ramayana—has been passed down for hundreds of generations, and its influence can be seen in Indian art, literature, history, and even Indian statecraft. This workshop is designed to allow instructors to explore Hindu culture by examining the characters of the Ramayana, and the choices they make. Teachers will be able to explore a number of Hindu concepts, such as that of right behavior (dharma), through an investigation of the epic poem, the Ramayana, and the ways in which the story is told through the visual arts.

Redefining an American Vision: From Walt Whitman to Robert Frank
The first edition of Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, published in 1855, did not include the author’s name; instead Whitman was represented by an engraving based on a Daguerreotype portrait, one of many photographs of the author done over the years. This workshop begins with Whitman’s efforts to define the American experience and concludes with a visual reading of The Americans by Robert Frank. This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

They All Came to Paris: An American Fascination
From the days of the American Colonies when Benjamin Franklin enjoyed the foods and wines of Paris between diplomatic meetings to artists as diverse as Winslow Homer and Miles Davis, Americans have traveled to Paris and added their unique glow to the City of Lights. This Educator workshop explores the experiences and perceptions of extraordinary Americans who were changed forever by their time in Paris. This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

All Ages

The Artful Educator
Based on the concept that art is a language, this workshop demonstrates that the vocabulary of visual images can be a powerful interdisciplinary tool for teaching across grades and subject areas. Learn how to use observation skills to systematically examine paintings and explore new ideas for teaching with art. This workshop also highlights VMFA’s educational resources and programs, which are perfect for enhancing your classroom experiences.

What do you see in this painting? Learn how to look in The Artful Educator teacher workshop.

Look at That! Critical Thinking + Art = Knowledge Retention
What in the world can you learn from just looking at pictures? This workshop provides resources for constructing new understandings of our cultural, social, and political history by discovering clues in works of art! After all, every work of art is a primary source from the era in which it was made. (Adaptable to a variety of subjects and grade levels.)

MAPS: Making it Visual
If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how many words a map is worth—especially if you know how to read it! In this workshop, participants examine different kinds of historical and conceptual maps, learn a bit of map history, and receive lesson plans that helps your students understand how geography shapes history and culture.

War in Ink and Silver: Illustrations and Illusions of the Civil War
This workshop explores the visual representations of the Civil War as created by contemporary illustrators, photographers, cartoonists, and commercial artists. Utilizing artists such as Winslow Homer and photographers such as Alexander Gardner and Timothy O'Sullivan, participants compare the ways in which the realities of war were translated to the masses via images and words. This workshop is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

RESOURCE SESSION
Kit and Caboodle: VMFA Resources for Teachers:
This resource session offers an engaging overview of the museum’s collection, educational resources, discovery kits, teacher workshop offerings, and more. Art’s not just for art class. It’s a dynamic and powerful interdisciplinary teaching tool! The 20-minute version is free; 1-hour version (add an activity) is $75

Sponsorship Policies
The success of this program depends on strong audience development efforts made well in advance of the event. To ensure success, the sponsor’s initial responsibilities are to:

1. Develop a minimum audience of 20, a maximum audience of 30 participants. Partners should apprise all area public and independent schools of available workshops, and work with school personnel to disseminate workshop information and to cultivate an audience.
2. Use all possible school and public media to promote the workshop. Publicize the details of the program at least four weeks before the workshop date.
3. Establish, together with local schools, a process for registering participants.
4. Arrange for a lecture hall that can be totally darkened. Certain workshops may also require studio space. (When using a school-site, obtain a written commitment from the co-sponsoring school and forward it to the Museum before September 15.)
5. Provide VMFA with a complete itinerary and number of workshop participants at least two weeks before the workshop date (itinerary form will be provided by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts). Notify the Virginia Museum of insufficient enrollment at least one week before the workshop date.
6. If an educator is to be involved in the workshop, provide meals and overnight accommodations.
7. Provide the following audiovisual equipment:
   • Computer and digital projector for PowerPoint presentations
   • 1 viewing screen large enough to accommodate side-by-side projected images
   • Lighted lectern
   • Sound system adequate for the size of the lecture hall
   • Other equipment as specified by the speaker

* If PowerPoint equipment is not available, VMFA may be able to provide such. Phone 804.204.2671 to confirm availability.

Scheduling
To request an Educator Workshop, complete an online Program Request Form. You can also download a printable Program Request form to fill out and mail to the address on the form.This form is a PDF file, requiring Adobe® Acrobat® Reader. Click your browser's BACK button to return to this page. When planning a workshop at a school site, check the school calendar to avoid dates that conflict with exam weeks, spring break, etc. Workshops last approximately two and one-half hours and may be scheduled for morning, afternoon, or early evening. Workshop dates and times are determined in consultation with the sponsor and the Museum staff educator.

Fees
Partners pay a sponsor’s fee of $150 for each Educator Workshop to cover materials and travel expenses. A check made payable to

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Educator Workshop
must be forwarded to the Museum on receipt of the workshop confirmation. If the sponsoring locality prefers not to charge participants, partners, school systems, and PTA’s are encouraged to work cooperatively to finance the program.

Cancellation Policy
The workshop may be canceled for reasons of inclement weather, speaker illness, or insufficient enrollment. In instances of insufficient enrollment, the sponsor must notify VMFA of cancellation at least one week before the scheduled workshop date.

Publicity
For the sponsor’s use in promoting the Educators’ Workshop, a publicity packet is provided by the Virginia Museum. The packet includes a sample press release, as well as a 5x7 inch, black and white photograph of the speaker or of works of art related to the lecture topic.

Acknowledgement Requirements
In all publicity and printed materials relating to the Educators’ Workshops, the sponsor must include the following credit: This program has been organized and funded by the Education and Statewide Partnership Department of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond.

Evaluation
Within five days after a workshop, the sponsor must provide the Virginia Museum with an evaluation of the program. The Museum will provide the Evaluation Form, requesting attendance figures and publicity arrangements, as well as comments and suggestions on the speaker’s presentation. When the form is returned to the Museum, the sponsor must include copies of all publicity and printed materials.