The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin           ED-295
9 min / color / 1991 / NFBC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
A new look at a centuries-old fairy tale! Using a medieval style of illustration to animate the story of Cinderella, the program gives the leading role to a mistreated, romantic penguin, with hilarious results. Cinderella Penguin loses her magic flipper as she runs to meet her midnight deadline, but all ends well when Prince Charming finds the right webbed foot and the nasty step-family is brought to heel!

Theatre of Memory: The Dali Museum
32 min / 1991 / VHS
College through adult
The voice of Salvador Dali guides us through his unique Theater Museum in Catalonia. More than just a building to house his prolific and varied output, the museum itself is part of his oeuvre, a three-dimensional expression of the artistic life of the often-controversial-and-never-dull surrealist. Dali muses on his Catalan identity, Surrealism, and his collaboration with the Catalan artist Antoni Pitxot.

Theater Wagon           PE-35
27 min / color / 1987 / TW / VHS
High school through adult
This program is a documentary about Theater Wagon, a 25-year-old non-profit group in Staunton, Virginia, chartered for the development and promotion of new plays and new translation of the old. The founders of Theater Wagon, Margaret and Fletcher Collins Jr. describe the mission of the group as one of “research and development.” Acknowledging that no profits can be expected from the production of brand new works, the group is composed of a large group of volunteers who join for the experience and thrill of working with a wide range of dramatic materials. This program is especially recommended for community theater groups, art centers, and drama classes.

Theatrical Devices in Classical Theater          PE-57
26 min / color / 1989 / FFHS / VHS
High school through adult
Violence, bloodshed, and horror took place off-stage in classical theater. The Ekkyklema, a platform on wheels, was rolled to the edge of the orchestra to reveal perpetrators and victims, and the Deus Ex Machina, a crane mechanism, suspended gods above the stage. For ghosts from the underworld, the ladder of Charos was used. Among the devices used in New Comedy were painted panels and a raised stage. The actors now had to project themselves in new ways, and so expressive masks, high soled shoes, and padded clothing were introduced.

They Drew Fire: Combat Artists of World War II           ED-544
57 min / 1999 / VHS
College through adult
During World War II, U.S. military commanders sent armed artists out into the thick of battle to interpret the war, sometimes with a poetic guidance of William Blake or sometimes for functional purposes as rendering telltale signs of the enemy. This respectful video spotlights seven of these courageous sketchers and painters: Franklin Boggs, Howard Brodie, Manuel Bromberg, William Draper, Richard Gibney, Robert Greenhalgh, and Edward Reep as they give sometimes graphic descriptions of their experiences. Extra narration by Jason Robards.

Things Gone and Things Still Here           WA-439
58 min / color / 1994 / CG / VHS
High school through adult
This documentary traces the career of Paul Bowles, from a young musical protégé of Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson to his later work as a novelist, short story writer, translator, North African musicologist, and composer for films and theater. It also discusses Bowles’s marriage with Jane Auer, also an author, and the influences this relationship had on his work. Bowles’s career is receiving greater attention than ever before-his novel, The Sheltering Sky, was filmed in 1992, his Picnic Cantata was performed at Carnegie Hall the same year, and his piano solos were released in CD format in 1994. This introduction to a multitalented artist will provide viewers with a fascinating look into the creative process.

Think in Ink           AT-61
23 min / color / 1994 / Lucerne / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Pen and ink drawing is a basic, inexpensive, and accessible medium appreciated by artists over the centuries. A demonstration of various types of pens shows the versatility of the medium, from calligraphy, sketches, and fine-lined details to intricate technical drawings. The potential for creating bold and subtle drawings of great power and delicacy is shown using examples from artists working in the medium.

The 30-Second Dream           ED-97
15 min / color / 1977 / MMM / 16mm
Middle school through adult
In a careful selection of TV commercials, The 30-Second Dream demonstrates the seductive power of television advertising. Using a montage of images and off-screen narration, the program reveals how skillfully commercials prey upon our hopes and fears in order to sell their products.

This Is Ben Shahn           WA-182
17 min / color / 1966 / PFI / 16mm
College through adult
Ben Shahn has worked successfully in a variety of media, including painting, printmaking, and sculpture. His personal philosophy, which he has developed over his many years as an artist, is reflected in all of his work. This film provides a better understanding of Shahn’s themes of loneliness and unrest and shows how they can be seen in his work.

This Is Edward Steichen           WA-62
25 min / b&w / 1965 / CSF / 16mm / VHS / DVD
High school through adult
This film includes examples of Edward Steichen’s masterful photographs and a warm, personal interview with the 86-year-old photographer in his Connecticut home. He expresses his feelings about painting and photography and describes his recollections about meeting and photographing such great figures as Auguste Rodin and Greta Garbo.

This Is Your Museum Speaking           ED-96
14 min / color / 1980 / FI / 16mm
Elementary school through adult
Museums are not morgues, but are treasure-houses of past relics. This discovery is made by a night watchman and his dog, Fang, on one memorable night, when characters emerge from the walls and halls of the museum. The watchman is introduced to this unusual society by the resident muse, a flamboyant lady with flaming red locks. Together they witness an 18th-century duel, converse with a Rembrandt painting, and question an Egyptian pharaoh. Loud knocking at the museum door returns the watchman to reality, but it is a reality that will never be quite the same. The film uses the magic of animation to show the importance of museums in our lives.

This Sporting Life: British Sporting Art from the Collection of Paul Mellon         VM-1
30 min / 2002 / VM / VHS / DVD
High school through adult
Malcom Cormack, Paul Mellon Curator of the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, takes the viewer on a lively walk through the collection of English sporting life paintings from the 1800s. It is a world of counts, trainers, groomsmen, Arabian horses, coaches, thoroughbred racing, and fox hunting with hounds amid the English countryside. Painters include John Wootton, John Pollard, and George Stubbs.

Thomas Eakins: Scenes from Modern Life            WA-617
56 min / 2002 / DVD
College through adult
A quintessential American painter of the 19th and 20th centuries, Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) was fascinated by a rapidly changing world and captured it in his paintings and photographs. His exquisite studies of the human body at rest and motion reflect a perfect blend of scientific approach and poetic touch. This DVD follows his steps as a young art student in Paris, as a teacher in Philadelphia and his controversial insistence in using nude models, to his later life in North Dakota.

Thomas Eakins: A Motion Portrait           WA-252
60 min / color / 1986 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
The life of Thomas Eakins was both heroic and tragic. A brilliant portraitist who painted his subjects as he saw them and an outspoken teacher who demanded respect for the entire human body, Eakins flouted the conventions of proper Philadelphia society in the Victorian era. During his life, Eakins sold only 25 or 30 paintings. It was not until years after his death in 1916 that a new generation of scholars and critics recognized him as one of America’s greatest painters.

Thomas Hart Benton           WA-297
86 min / color / 1988 / DC, PBS / 16mm, VHS
College through adult
The turbulent career of Thomas Hart Benton, one of America’s most controversial artists, began with experimentation in Expressionism, Cubism, and other European styles abroad. Later, while in the military, Benton was assigned to illustrate army equipment, discovering in the process a realistic style that finally satisfied him. Returning to civilian life, he became a Regionalist painter, portraying Americans as down-to-earth types who expressed their “American-ness” through their everyday actions and their appearance.

Thomas Hart Benton’s Missouri           WA-543
28 min / b&w and color / 1992 / FFH / VHS
High school through adult
America’s foremost folk muralist, the late Thomas Hart Benton, was at the apex of his career when he painted the Social History of Missouri mural which ambitiously depicts that state’s progress from pioneer days to the Depression era. Benton’s own narration from recorded interviews is used and supplemented by historian Bob Priddy.

Thomas Jefferson (2 parts)           ED-437
Each part 90 min / color / 1997 / PBS / VHS
Middle school through adult
Made for PBS by renowned film documentarian, Ken Burns (The Civil War), Part One shows Thomas Jefferson coming from the Virginia wilderness and transformed by the Enlightenment into his country’s most articulate voice for human liberty. He journeys to Paris as U.S. Minister supporting the French Revolution. Part Two shows Jefferson returning to the U.S. to help preserve the fragile new government of the United States’ Revolution. Jefferson is followed through his presidency, making the Louisiana Purchase, and his retirement years at Monticello, founding the University of Virginia. Sheds much light on Jefferson as a sometimes controversial and enigmatic figure in United States history.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello           WA-238
24 min / color / 1975 / 16mm, VHS
Middle school through adult
On a hill outside Charlottesville, Virginia, Thomas Jefferson built a home that provided him with a harmonious setting for pursuing his many skills and interests. We tour his house, Monticello, and see Jefferson’s collections of paintings and furnishings, his ingenious devices for comfortable living, and many other personal items. Narrated by E.G. Marshall, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is especially appropriate for students of the history and culture of Virginia and the United States.

Three English Cathedrals: Norwich, Lincoln, Wells           WA-454
45 min / color / 1995 / DC / VHS
Middle school through adult
This fascinating video visits 3 spectacular English cathedrals representing a range of architectural styles. Norwich, among the best-preserved of the cathedrals built after the Norman Conquest in 1066, was intended to impose the conquerors’ powerful presence on the Saxons. The amazingly open and delicate, yet complex, Lincoln Cathedral features the first use of spreading ribs in the vaults, an invention that eventually would spread throughout England. The facade of Wells includes the richest sculpture in the country, and its Bishop’s Palace, Vicars Close, Chapter House, and unusual scissors arches in the nave make this cathedral one of the best-loved in England. Educational and evocative, Three English Cathedrals is a wonderful architectural experience.

Three Legends of Australian Aboriginals           ED-338
10 min / color / 1993 / AIMS / VHS
Elementary school through adult
These folktales were gathered from Aboriginal elders by members of a teachers’ college in Northern Australia. They originate from a time in Australia before European settlement. How the Kangaroo Got His Tail: how a fight between the kangaroo and bandicoot resulted in the kangaroo having a tail. The Thirst Sand Frog: why the sand frog is so ashamed of himself that he hides in the sand during the day and only comes out at night. How the Animals Were Divided: what happened when the elders of the animal tribe decided to move the tribe to the other side of the river.

Three Minutes from Broadway           PE-46
30 min / color / 1992 / CTC / VHS
Middle school through adult
This is the motivating story of the 52nd Street Project, a dedicated group of actors, playwrights, and other theater professionals who come together with children from the neighborhood, just “three minutes from Broadway." Through interviews with actors, the children and their families, and actual footage from workshops, rehearsals, and performances, this documentary depicts the developing relationship between the children and adults. This project not only enriches the heart and soul of its community, but also inspires future performers in the arts.

Three Potters           WA-266
27 min / color / 1986 / WNPB / VHS
High school through adult
The camera visits each of the studios of 3 contemporary West Virginia potters who discuss their chosen techniques and philosophies. Included are: Ami Hirata (“My pieces are my pieces; they have nothing to do with my beingJapanese or a woman.”), Bob Anderson (“I love the idea that I can make an affordable piece of art.”), and Joe Lung (“I like to use porcelain because it leaves a pure background for me to paint; it is like painting on canvas.”). From Anderson’s abstract imagery and Hirata’s subtle colors to Lung’s sensuous Oriental nudes, a spectrum of ceramic design and decoration is explored.

Three Tales           ED-385
15 min / color / 1988 / AGC / VHS
Preschool through adult
In these animated stories from the former Soviet Union, viewers discover truths about life through the antics of pencils, trucks, and a shovel. In Colored Pencils, the 4 pencils learn that each brings something distinctive and important to life and that there must be acceptance for diverse thoughts and colors. The second story, A Fairytale of the Road, shows us that the road to happiness is lined with potholes. The last tale, The Gardener, is animated in clay and demonstrates with delightful flair the importance of persisting in one’s dreams. Each of these 5-minute programs gives a valuable visual lesson without narration.

Through a Glass, Lightly         ED-488
20 min / 1994 / NDF / VHS
College through adult
This video follows “outsider artists” Mr. Imagination, David Philpot, and Kevin Orth as they search the city for the raw materials for their art. These found objects are transformed into color, form, texture, images, and ideas. Outsider artists, those far from the mainstream, appreciate the world around them by seeing things differently from the rest of us.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead
45 min each / color / 1994 / DC / VHS
High school through adult
A text unique to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, The Tibetan Book of the Dead is an essential teaching that is read aloud to dying persons as they pass from this life to the next. Filmed on location over a 4-month period, this 2-part series uses remarkable footage of rites and liturgies to explain to Western audiences the power of this important book. Narrated by renowned singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen, portions of the film are animated by Academy Award-nominated animator Ishu Patel. This series is a vividly detailed account of the contents of The Book of the Dead and of the traditional Buddhist teachings on compassion and the search for truth, which are its foundations.

1. A Way of Life           TIBET -1
This ground-breaking video documents the history of the book and explores its traditional application in Ladakh, northern India, as well as its use in hospices in Europe and North America. Featured is an interview with the Dalai Lama, who shares his own views on the book’s meaning and importance.

2. The Great Liberation           TIBET-2
Viewers observe an elderly priest and his young student as they guide the soul of a recently deceased man into the afterlife. The progress of the soul is envisioned through the actual sequence of traditional rituals, interwoven with imaginative animation.

Tigers and Sails and ABC Tales           VM-6
15 min / 2003 / VHS, DVD
Ages 3-6 and adult
This heartwarming, young children's video blends the alphabet with art into a lovely journey that both parent and child will enjoy. All of the featured masterworks are from the collection of Mr. And Mrs. Paul Mellon at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The video uses child narrators, animation, and a musical score that was specially created for the program to engage children.

Tikki Tikki Tembo           ED-320
9 min / color / 1974 / WW / VHS
Preschool through adult
Adapted from the book by Arlene Mosel, this charming folktale explains why Chinese people no longer choose long names for their children. It tells the story of 2 young brothers, one named Chong and the other named Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Peri Pembo, and the misadventures that they get into at the family well. Young audiences will be especially delighted with the lighthearted illustrations and the rhythmic repetition of Tikki Tikki’s name.

Time Indefinite           ED-329
117 min / color / 1993 / FRIC / VHS
Middle school through adult
In Time Indefinite Ross McElwee picks up where his film Sherman’s March left off, with Charleen Swansea (“You’ve got to have passion, Ross!”) and his father, whose mere presence inevitably short-circuits his camera. Fending off various friends and family members who offer advice-almost all unwanted-McElwee takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride of his life. This is a ruefully funny, frequently poignant and resonant film that demands to know, “Does a fish have a soul?” This is an excellent introduction to the potential of American documentaries for the uninitiated and a must for McElwee’s admirers.

Time of the Angels           ED-228
10 min / color / 1986 / PFP / 16mm
Elementary school through adult
Time of the Angels brings to life 3 Latin American poems, each spoken in both Spanish and English and visually interpreted by Faith Hubley’s colorful animation. The poems are Time of the Angels by Nezahualcotl, Emperor of Texococo (1420-1472); Horses of the Conquerors by José Santos Chocano; and The Guardian Angel by Gabriela Mistral. Hubley’s surreal style complements her astute understanding of and empathy for the history, culture, and aesthetics of Latin America. Especially suitable for classes in Latin American culture, literature, art, and film study.

Tin Toy           ED-260
5 min / color / 1988 / DC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This Academy Award-winning animated film by the PIXAR Laboratory of Lucasfilm is about a musical tin toy and its encounter with a towering, abusive baby. Terrified when the baby chases after him, Tin Toy retreats beneath the couch, only to discover a menagerie of other toys, all hiding from the same monster. Tin Toy, however, steels himself and tries to comfort the baby when he begins to cry, only to find the baby more interested in playing with a paper bag. Recommended for animation, film, and computer classes.

Tintoretto           WA-256
65 min / color / 1984 / FI / VHS
College through adult
The words of French writer and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre guide the viewer through this exploration of the work of Italian artist Jacopo Robusti, called “Il Tintoretto.” Sartre was fascinated by Tintoretto’s rebellion against 16th-century convention and by his innovative, dynamic style. His visionary approach to scale and color is vividly apparent in his most famous works, the extraordinary decorative panels and vast frescoes that are found in Venice.

Tinwork of New Mexico           WA-462
15 min / color / 1992 / CTC / VHS
Middle school through adult
This is the story of the Romero family’s quest to keep alive the Spanish craft of working with tin; it dates back to the opening of the Santa Fe Trail in 1821. The Romeros’ tinwork, including mirror frames, sconces, and light fixtures, has gained national recognition. Despite their success, they reflect on their work and their desire to pass down their craft to their daughter. This program captures the spirit of deeply rooted Hispanic traditions and the people who continue to be inspired by the ways of their ancestors.

The Titan: Story of Michelangelo           WA-34
67 min / b&w / 1967 / MGHT / 16mm
High school through adult
Against a background of Renaissance cathedrals and palaces, the life and times of Michelangelo are revealed. Many of the greatest achievements in sculpture, painting, and architecture are shown, including David, the Medici tombs, Moses, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, St. Peter’s dome, and other masterpieces. The film presents superb photography of his works and a re-creation of the turbulent events of the Renaissance.

Titian           WA-402
57 min / color / 1989 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
Titian, master painter of the Venetian school during the Italian Renaissance, had an incalculable influence on the course of European art. This program reveals the magnificence of his art as viewers travel to Venice, Rome, Madrid, and Vienna to see Titian’s works. A master of self-promotion, Titian could be ruthless in his pursuit of wealth and prestige. This program recounts the drama of his life and the genius of his art.

To be Seen NEW!
30 min/2005/ DVD
College through adult
We live in a world that bombards our eyes with images of marketing and advertising, constant reminders of a capitalist, consumer-driven society. To Be Seen takes a look at the graffiti and street art subculture and those who claim the public urban visual space.

To Render a Life: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men and the Documentary Vision           ED-319
Middle school through adult
In 1936, writer James Agee and photographer Walker Evans travelled to Hale County, Alabama, to document the lives of 3 families of desperately poor cotton farmers. The result of the brilliant work was published in 1941 as the book, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, a book destined to become an American classic. To Render a Life is the first feature film to be made about this book. Central to the film is a portrait of a contemporary poor rural family living under the same conditions as the cotton sharecroppers of the Depression. The result is a detailed portrait of a family seen through the eyes of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. This video is also about the making of documentary art. It features some of the oustanding writers and documentary artists of our time, such as Robert Coles, Jonathan Kozol, Frederick Wiseman, and Ruth Behar. Especially appropriate for social studies, literature, and film classes.

Tony de Peltrie           ED-185
8 min / color / 1985 / EE / VHS
Middle school through adult
This short animated film was created entirely by computer. Through the magic of a revolutionary technique that animates 3-dimensional characters, we see life through the eyes of a piano player whose career is on the downswing. Now alone and nostalgic, Tony re-creates in his own manner one special, unforgettable evening. This film was produced with the help of TAARNA, a power computer graphics system for artists and designers, developed at the Centre de Calcul de l’Universite de Montreal.

Tops           ED-54
8 min / color / 1969 / EBEC / 16mm
Preschool through adult
This film by Charles and Ray Eames presents a lyric celebration of tops spinning and dancing across the screen in wonderful varieties of shape and color. Illustrating the variety in construction and spinning techniques of tops found through the ages and around the world, the film provides a common visual experience as a stimulus for language development and underscores the beauty we can find in ordinary objects.

“Topsy”: William Morris         WA-576
57 min / 1996 / FFH / VHS
College through adult
The life of William Morris was a crusade against the ugliness of the 19th century Industrial Revolution. In this beautiful video made at sites in the English countryside, art historian Douglas Skeggs expounds on the many achievements of the energetic and boisterous “Topsy”, father of the Arts and Crafts movement. His friendships with Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones, the decorating of Red House, and his founding of Morris & Co. are discussed in evocative detail.

A Touch of Glass           ED-232
13 min / color / 1986 / EBEC / 16mm, VHS
Middle school through adult
“With glass now in the hands of artists as well as craftsmen, we may be seeing-within all the wonders of its long history-just the beginning.” This statement by Thomas Buechner, former director of the Corning Museum of Glass, opens this visual essay on the art of glassmaking. Students are shown working in a variety of techniques, followed by a close look at pieces that were included in the 1983 National Glass Invitational, sponsored by the Center for Creative Studies at the University of Michigan.

Toulouse-Lautrec           WA-417
52 min / color / 1993 / NDV / VHS
Middle school through adult
Born an aristocrat, Toulouse-Lautrec celebrated the social swirl of the cabaret, theaters, and racetracks of Paris. Disabled in childhood, he was fascinated with the world of physical action, and his opus of art works evokes the splendor and miseries of the unrestrained pursuit of urban pleasures. The background and particulars of the lithographic process that was developed in his lifetime and prompted his famous posters is covered in detail as are key examples of his art in other media.

Toulouse-Lautrec and Montmartre            ED-575
30 min/2005/ DVD
College through adult
This National Gallery of Art video is a definitive and revealing biography of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, who had the notorious taste for the nightlife of Paris and such a strong identity with the avant-garde of 1890s-early1900s Montmartre. Lavish use is made of his paintings and posters, rare film footage, photos, sound recordings, and interviews by contemporary scholars.

Touring Royal Castles and Stately Homes of England           WA-482
60 min / color / 1992 / Fusion / VHS
Middle school through adult
The true homes of the English nobility and aristocracy are located in the beautiful countryside outside of London. Through this video the viewer can experience the majestic beauty of 8 living monuments, embraced by 1,000 years of English history: Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill; Woburn Abbey, home of the famous afternoon tea; Harewood House, home of Princess Mary; medieval Warwick Castle; Castle Howard, offering Baroque grandeur; Beaulieu, dating back to William the Conqueror; Chatsworth, the grandest country house in England; and Broadlands, where Prince Charles and Lady Diana honeymooned. Stunning interiors, delightful gardens, and magnificent art are viewed behind the doors of these stately homes. Truly, some of England’s most precious artistic and cultural treasures are kept within these walls.

The Tournament           WA-305
30 min / color / 1982 / FI / VHS
Middle school through adult
Helmut Nickel, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s impressive medieval arms and armor collection, conducts a myth-dispelling journey through the Age of Chivalry. Nickel embarks on interesting side trails, such as the origin of the phrase “blackmail” and puts to rest the famous image of Henry VIII being hoisted onto his horse via a mechanical contraption. He introduces us to the functions of various types of armor, following its evolution from protection in war to protection in jousting tournaments. Beautifully photographed and edited, this film is highly recommended for studies of medieval history and art.

Tradesman and Treasures: Gothic and Renaissance Nuremberg           WA-263
60 min / color / 1986 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
During the 14th through the 16th centuries, a remarkable flowering of art and culture took place in Nuremberg, Germany. It was then that Nuremberg evolved from an important late Gothic city within the Holy Roman Empire to a Renaissance center whose artistic, humanistic, and scientific achievements had far-reaching consequences. Splendid photography reveals the city’s castle, towering churches, and private residences, as well as works by such artists as Veit Stoss, Adam Kraft, and Albrecht Dürer. Interviews, period music, and travelers’ accounts bring to life the great artists, shrewd merchants, and patrician families who made Nuremberg into one of Europe’s greatest cities.

Trajan’s Column           WA-301
50 min / color / 1989 / TREC / VHS
College through adult
In the year A.D. 113, the Roman Emperor Trajan constructed a column to document his defeat of territories in present-day Romania. The column, 131 feet tall with a winding narrative that stretches a total of 656 feet, is a testament to Trajan’s prowess as a conqueror and politician. The column is compared to a contemporary television or radio broadcast, serving to spread information about the emperor to his people. Its merits as a technically efficient and creative example of Imperial Roman art are also examined. Recommended for classes in art, art history, history, and Latin.

Transcending the Scenes: Gary Hill            VA-3
54 min
Gary Hill takes you into his studio where he is constantly conducting experiments as to how to change your perception of space, sound, sight, and many more to explore. His studio resembles a laboratory where he creates an end combination of different technologies and mediums. Some works highlighted are: "Wall Piece", "Crossbow", "Liminal Objects", "Reflex Chamber", "Conundrum".

Transformations           ED-336
20 min / color / 1989 / NDV / VHS
Middle school through adult
Einstein said, “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true sight.” Using nature as a point of departure, this title is a visual and philosophical journey into change and meaning. Suggested Classroom Activity: One part of the film condenses the timing of events to a 12-hour period. Try to do the same thing using your lifetime as the 12 hours and pinpointing times at which events in your life took place.

Treadle and Bobbin           ED-14
9 min / color / 1954 / RADIM / 16mm
Preschool through adult
The camera of Wheaton Galentine dwells with fascination and a touch of nostalgia on the hypnotic rhythms and flashing precision of the sewing machine. A charming film, it is a warm recollection of treadle, bobbin, scarlet thread, and whirling flywheel. Suggested Classroom Activity: Have students make drawings of ordinary household objects, from different points of view.

Treasures of the Holy Land: Ancient Art from the Israel Museum           WA-309
30 min / color / 1987 / AA / VHS

The history of the Holy Land is introduced by Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This colorful video examines jewelry, mosaics, and inscriptions, and other objects ranging from the mundane to the miraculous. The crowning jewel is a pair of Dead Sea Scrolls, today a topic of controversy among scholars. Suggested for studies in world history, art, religion, archaeology, and anthropology.

Treasures of the Metropolitan            WA-619
52 min / 2004 / DVD
Middle school through adult
Take a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City with this high definition DVD. Considered "encyclopedic", the Metropolitan holds every kind of art from every part of the world from every era of recorded time. Each department of art is visited as the curator points out his or her three favorite pieces. It is the next best thing to actually going there.

The Trial of Tilted Arc           WA-214
52 min / color / 1985 / MOMA / VHS
High school through adult
In 1981, in lower Manhattan’s Federal Plaza, a sculpture by artist Richard Serra was installed. A curving wall of steel 120 feet long and 12 feet high, Serra’s monumental arc was commissioned by the federal General Services Administration’s Art-in-Architecture program. Almost immediately after its installation, the work became the focus of controversy. Lengthy hearings were held to determine the fate of the work. This tape presents the most telling testimonies from those hearings, allowing both sides of the issue to be heard. The principal issues concerned the role of government in the arts, censorship, artistic freedom, and the place of modern art in contemporary life. A month after the hearings, the GSA panel recommended that Tilted Arc be removed and in May 1985 decided that the sculpture should be relocated.

Trifles           ED-151
20 min / color / 1982 / BFA / 16mm
Middle school through adult
The scene is the bleak Midwest plains. Five people, 3 men and 2 women, enter a farmhouse in search of the motive for a murder that occurred the day before. The men look for obvious clues, while the women piece together the probable solution by connecting a series of “trifles.” A film by Martha Moran, based on the story A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell, Trifles is an excellent example of a successful adaptation of literature into film. This film can be shown with the film A Jury of Her Peers. Shown together, these 2 films can be used to investigate how 2 different filmmakers treat the same plot.

Trompe l’Oeil: Paintings that Fool the Eye          AT-66
23 min / color / 1996 / LUC / VHS
Middle school through adult
It’s so real you want to reach out and touch it, just to check, but this is the greatest “gottcha game” in the world of art-trompe de l’oeil-painting that fools the eye. This historical survey is an exploration of looking at art and a challenge to visual perception. Contemporary trompe de l’oeil is emphasized, but examples of this fascinating technique are depicted from every major art period.

Truck Song           ED-249
13 min / color / 1988 / AIMS / VHS
Preschool through adult
Language, music, and colorful visual imagery all come together marvelously in Truck Song, which satisfies the special fascination children have for the grand mechanical monsters of our highways. Lively country-western music and scenes of the varied American landscape are interspersed with narration of a delightful poem by Diane Seibert, upon whose book this video is based: “Trucks of metal / trucks of chrome / foot on pedal / far from home.” Certain to delight children of all ages. Suggested Classroom Activity: Have students write and illustrate their own poem about trucks. Discuss how colors are used to identify some kinds of trucks (i.e. red for fire engines, white for ice cream trucks) and why certain colors signify certain things to people. Have students paint a classroom mural depicting the many trucks they find in their community.

Tut: The Boy King           WA-119
52 min / color / 1977 / FI / 16mm
Middle school through adult
This stunning film offers a detailed view of 55 of the “wonderful things” seen by Howard Carter when he unsealed the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Orson Welles’s narration eloquently matches the treasures he describes: statues and jewelry, unguent jars and boxes, and miniature furniture, all intricately carved and decorated. Photographs of the discovery of the tomb add to the impact of the treasures themselves.

Twelve American Painters I           WA-226
30 min / color / 1974 / VM / 3/4"vc, VHS
College through adult
This 2-part program deals with a major exhibition organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Each program covers 6 of the 12 artists represented, giving further insight into the artists’ background and development. Featured in this segment are Robert Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Francis, Conrad Marca-Relli, Frank Stella, and Jack Tworkov.

Twelve American Painters II           WA-227
30 min / color / 1974 / VM / 3/4"vc, VHS
College through adult
See previous listing for Twelve American Painters I. Artists discussed are: Wayne Thiebaud, Richard Estes, Philip Pearlstein, Richard Diebenkorn, Robert Indiana, and Roy Lichtenstein.

20th-Century American Art:
Highlights from the Permanent Collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art           WA-176
26 min / color / 1982 / AFA / 16mm
High school through adult
This document of a 1982 exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art opens with an account of the events that led to the founding of the Museum by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in 1930. It continues with a tour of the exhibition, illustrating the diversity and richness of 20th-century art in the United States and explaining the special role the Whitney has played by encouraging and exhibiting American artists.

2100-Year-Old Tomb Excavated           OA-18
30 min / color / 1973 / GROFL / 16mm
High school through adult
In a discovery that rivaled the opening of the Pharoah Tutankhamen’s tomb in Egypt in the 1920s, Chinese archaeologists unearthed a tomb that held the mummy of a woman and a large number of burial accessories, all in an incredible state of preservation. The film, produced by the People’s Republic of China, reveals many interesting discoveries about ancient Chinese civilization; the narration powerfully reflects the philosophy of Chinese society.

Twilight           ED-306
4 min / color / 1989 / DC / VHS
Preschool through adult
“I think the rock was watching Jacques, and I know the tree was watching me.” This charming and magical animated film celebrates the world of nature and the nature of the world as 2 young boys walk home at dusk. With its friendly characters and soothing, poetic narration, Twilight weaves a view of the world as a peaceful, comforting environment, full of wonder and enchantment for children. The highly saturated colors and simple story line make this program extremely attractive to very young viewers.

The Twin Towers: A History
48 min / 2001 / VHS
High school through adult
The World Trade Center towers met skepticism and disdain when they were first built to revitalize downtown Manhattan and encourage a global marketplace. However, as the years went by, the towers became the signature of the New York City skyline. This compelling history uses amazing archival film and commentary from architecture experts and even ironworkers to elucidate the beautiful genius of the WTC and its future after the 9/11/01 tragedy.

Two Centuries of Black American Art           WA-167
26 min / color / 1976 / PFP / 16mm, VHS
Middle school through adult
In this film by Carlton Moss we look at a broad spectrum of art by black Americans, from African influences during their first generations in America, to the ever-widening range of work they produced in the slave era, through their early struggles for recognition in the 19th century, to the artistic contributions of black Americans today. Recommended for classes in art, art history, humanities, black studies, and American history.

Two Faces of the Seventeenth Century           WA-251
28 min / color / 1984 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
Two masterpieces of painting in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art are analyzed: the 1600 Self-Portrait by Rembrandt and the 1650 Portrait of Juan de Pareja by Velàzquez. The first is placed in context with many other portraits Rembrandt made throughout his life. The second work is examined alone in close detail, enhancing the viewer’s visual understanding of a single masterpiece. Introductory remarks by Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum, link the 2 masterpieces.

Two Soldiers           ED-178
16 min / color / 1985 / PFP / 16mm
Middle school through adult
Based on a William Faulkner short story, this film tells the tale of a young boy who must come to terms with the adult realities of war and family separation at the outbreak of World War II. The film is particularly appropriate for courses in creative writing and social studies of the 1940s era.

Two White Horses: A Mountain Tale           ED-344
30 min / color / 1981 / WW / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Eerie sound effects, flashing eyes, and a magical voice will captivate the viewer as storyteller Jackie Torrence spins this tale of love, loyalty, death, and reunion. From the child’s perception, we experience the loss of her mother, her father’s grief, and the strange behavior of 2 white horses unwilling to “cross the bridge” to the cemetery. What do these horses instinctively know? The suspense builds as the storyteller reaches the end of the tale.