Monday, January 27, 2014

free clipart for teachers on the web

Links To Image Libraries & Collections: American Memory * UNESCO's  photobank * Time Pix * Kodak Features * Lycos Image Gallery * National Geographic * Corbis.com * Libweb * Library of Congress * National Archives of Canada * DEFA Film Library * Research Centers * Center for Jewish Film * UCLA Film/TV Archive * Black Film Center * Library of Congress * National Library of Education * Air Force Library * National Archives * National Library of Medicine * Internet Law Library * White House Press Room * National Agricultural Library * Resources for School Librarians * school-libraries.net * lib-web-cats * British Library Images Online * Life Photo Archive * NYPL Digital Gallery * Picture Collection Online * World Digital Library * Visual Collections * The Commons * Culture.fr * Smithsonian Images *View Finder * Terra Galleria Images * National Photo Collection From Israel * Images of England * Canadian Illustrated News * A Sampler of Medieval Images * Hagley Digital Archives * Picture History * Oxford Portraits * National Gallery * Napoleonic Period * Lighthouse Postcards * Agricultural Research * World War II History * Hate On DisplayImages Canada * Hedda Morrison Photographs of China *ARC * British Library Online * Canadian Heritage Gallery * Ad Hoc Digital Library * Database of Early American Jewish Portraits * ArchNet Library * Architectural Collections * Art Crimes * Black Archives of Mid-America * Archive of Historic Gardens * American Theological Library * Political Americana * Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi * Digital Image Access Project * The Digital Mirror * Digital South Asia Library * Gallica * The Winterton Collection of East African Photographs * Muschenheim Digital Archive * World Digital Library * Fish and Wildlife Service * Dirksen Center's Editorial Cartoon Collections * EIKON * Expeditions and Discoveries * Farber Gravestones * Hagley IndexSmithsonian Photography Initiative
Art Images At Virtual Museums: Artcyclopedia * CGFA Carol Gerten's Fine Art * Mother of All Art History Links * Web Gallery of Art * WebMuseum * World Art Treasures * Great Buildings Online * Victoria and Albert Museum
Digital Photography Collections At University Libraries: University of Washington * St. Andrews University * University of Arizona * Georgia State * CSU Libraries * UCDavis * Duke * Louisville * UC Santa Cruz * UO Libraries * UB Libraries Aerial Photographs * Princeton University * Harvard University * HBCU Library AllianceUniversity of Delaware * UM Michigan * Cornell University * University of Delaware * Early Manuscripts at Oxford University * UCLA Digital Archive of Popular American Music * Women Working From Harvard UniversityCalisphere
Search For Moving Images: British Pathe Film Archive * Prelinger Archives
Links To Images In Advertising: Ad*Access * Emergence of Avertising in America, 1850-1920
Links To Image Collections About Each State of The Union, Providence, Territory Etc: AlabamaAlaska * American Samoa * Arizona * Arkansas * California ArchiveCalifornia * Colorado * Connecticut * Delaware PostcardsDelaware * District of Columbia * Florida HeritageFlorida Video * Florida * Georgia * Guam * Hawaii * Idaho * Illinois Digital Archives * Illinois * Indiana * Iowa * Kansas * Kentucky * Louisiana * Maine * Maryland Digital CultureMaryland * Massachusetts * Michigan * Minnesota * Mississippi * Missouri * Montana * Nebraska * New England * Nevada Lake Tahoe * Nevada * New Hampshire *New Jersey Digital HighwayNew Jersey * New Mexico * New York * North Carolina * North Dakota * Northern Marianas Islands * Ohio * Oklahoma * Oregon * Pennsylvania * Puerto Rico * Rhode Island * South Carolina * South Dakota * Tennessee * Texas Bird's-Eye View * Texas Portal to Texas History * Texas PostcardsTexas Tides * Utah * Vermont * Virginia * Virgin Islands * Washington * West Virginia * Wisconsin * Wyoming * Columbia River Basin * Appalachia * Heritage West * Mountain West * Northwest * Rocky Mountains * Upper Mississippi Valley * Western Trails * Western Waters *  
Digital Image Collections Of American Cities: Chicago Public Library * City Sites * Cleveland * Los Angeles * New Haven * Byron of New York * Philadelphia * Pittsburgh * Richmond * RochesterSeattle * 
Digital Image Collections Of Science and Technology: Caltec Archives * Comparative Mammalian Brain Collections * Emilio Segre Visual Archives * Eye of Science * JPL * NOAA * NASA * Paleo Art * European Space Agency * Wolfram Research * Hagley Digital * Planetary Photojournal * Science and Society Picture LibraryVisible Earth * The Visible Human Project * Wellcome Images *

links to historic homes and house museums

      Historic house museums in the United States differ a great deal one from another. Some are organized around the person who lived there or the social role the house had. Consequently, they may contain objects that belonged to the inhabitants. This approach is mostly concerned with "authenticity". Other historic house museums may be partially or completely reconstructed in order to tell the story of a particular area, kind of life or period in time. This approach is guided by the "narrative" of the people who lived there. In each kind visitors learn about what they are seeing.
      Important to all historic house museums, however, is that the structure once was intended, or at least used, as a place of human habitation, and that the contents of the structure, now a museum, were intended for such places. Thus, if historic structures, though once homes, do not principally contain objects originally intended for the home AND have them arranged in a home-like ambiance, but instead have such objects arranged like a more typical museum, or principally contain displays and objects not originally intended for a home, then they should not be called "historic house museums."
Homes In Missouri:
  • The home and mill belonging to Waltus L. Watkins is very near to the town I grew up in. It has a marvelous man-made lake there and also a lovely bike path. The home and mill are in excellent condition. I grew up in the once small town of Liberty, MO. This little town had quite an unusual history. It would seem as though the townspeople could never make up their minds during the Civil War about who's side they were on. There are several historic homes there, in fact, that have old brick tunnels beneath them where slaves were hidden during the day and released at night. These tunnels have been filled in with clay and/or concrete because they became unstable over the passing of years. When I was young, I helped give guided tours through one of these beautiful old homes on Water Street during the holidays. Water Street is very near to the town square where Jesse James in broad daylight robbed the Clay County Bank. History enthusiasts can also tour the old James Family Farm in the nearby town of Kearney. Not far from the town square is William Jewell College. This college had a tumultuous past during both the Civil War and World War I and you can read about it here. Visitors should not pass up the chance to take two walking tours in Liberty. There is one of the college campus and another of the Lightburn Historic District. Included in that college tour, I'm assuming, is a quick look into the historic cemetery on Jewell campus.
  • When I was a school girl, students often took day trips to Fort Osage, the very first outpost of the United States built following the Louisiana Purchase. It was built by William Clark to show the British and the Spanish that the U. S. could protect their territories. It also had a very active trading post.
  • The very first permanent settlement in Missouri was at St. Genevieve, founded by the French in 1735. I love the historic charm of the architecture in this town.
  • See the boyhood home of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) in Hannibal, MO.
  • St. Louis, gateway to the West, has many historical homes people may tour year round. The oldest building in this city is the Manuel Lisa Warehouse. It was built by a Spanish fur trader in 1818. In the old Cathedral there are exhibits portraying the early history of St. Louis. Overlooking the river is the Old Courthouse. It was completed by 1864 and it was used by the county/city for 85 years. Dred Scott was tried there to defend his status as a free man. The Eugene Field House still stands on South Broadway and is open to the public. Robert Cambell, who made a fortune in trade, built an ornate Victorian mansion on the Southwest corner of Fifteenth and Locust Streets. Grant's Farm is home to the Hardscrabble House. It was built by Ulysses S. Grant during the early years of his marriage to Julia Dent before the Civil War.
  • The Sappington House Museum was built by slave labor in 1808. It is located very near to the city of Kirkwood, Mo. Directly behind it is a charming library housing rare books and city history documents. There is also a tearoom at this complex where visitors can have brunch or desert.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

villains serve an important purpose in children's literature

       Sometimes teachers may avoid reading books with villainous characters in them because they are afraid of offending parents or choosing an inappropriate topic for a particular age group. These are important considerations when one's audience is a bit young.  But, when a child reaches a more mature age, it is a mistake to avoid the portrayal of villains in their literature selections. Students need to feel a sense of self empowerment when fighting an enemy. They need to be taught that with outside help from their family and community leaders, they can fight injustice and should not be afraid to do so. 
      Children should also be made aware of their own tendencies to act a villainous part towards others, so that they may learn what is proper conduct and what behaviors are unacceptable. They must be taught the difference between correct conduct and incorrect conduct. Villains inside of story books provide for the "safe" observation of normally "unsafe" circumstances. Books with villains afford parents and teachers the opportunity to teach right from wrong without putting children in actual realistic danger. Religious leaders, the government, community educators, police officers etc... are candid about who we are, where we come from and how we should behave. Below I've listed a collection of books that I've used with my own children to teach them "how" to discern evil from good and also to teach them to laugh at villains so that they can choose not to be afraid of what can be changed. 
  • "Sukey and the Mermaid" by Robert D. San Souci, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney - Within the context of a fairy tale, a little girl finds courage to defeat an abusive home environment. She also discovers that she has friends who will help her defeat the villains in her environment.
  • "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything" by Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd - a wonderful book to read at Halloween time to very small children. This story teaches children to manipulate "scary things" (not evil, but scary) for a productive purpose on a very simplistic level.
  • "Piggie Pie!" by Margie Palatini, illustrated by Howard Fine - One of my favorite books ever to read aloud. This story is about just "how" creative pigs can get when threatened by a silly, old witch.
  • "Judy and the Volcano" by Wayne Harris - A story about how an enemy can be transformed. Judy wants to be everyone's hero, but, first she must learn how to be a friend to the girl she envies, Madeleine Corsy.
  • "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig" by Eugene Trivizas and Helen Oxenbury - Consider what you may look like to your enemies.
  • "A Flower for Ambrose" by Anna and Edward Standon - When I was small, my father brought this book back to me after taking a short trip to Chicago. It is about an elephant named Ambrose who struggles to preserve a beautiful flower but he fails. (death is the villain of this story) Ambrose's many tears serve to water a dying plant and not long afterward the entire desert blooms because Ambrose has watered it with his very own tears. Little did I know as a child that this would be a story I would relive over and over throughout my entire life. But, my earthly and heavenly fathers knew it very well. The book is probably out of print. You will need to contact a book dealer to find it. (Delacorte Press, New York, 1964)

Saturday, June 15, 2013

excellent video by Lian Quan Zhen


      
      "Join ArtistsNetwork.tv and artist Lian Quan Zhen as he shows you how to introduce Chinese painting techniques into your watercolors so you can loosen up and paint more freely. Using only watercolor brushes, paints and paper, Lian explains how to use the materials to bring in the strokes and style of Chinese brush painting. After painting a few small studies designed to get you comfortable with the techniques of spraying, blowing, spattering, finger painting and using your brush in new ways, Lian moves on to paint a pair of ducks in a sunset-filled pond combining traditional and Chinese watercolor techniques. By the end of this video you'll have be able to create beautiful, spontaneous pictures and, most of all, to have fun while you're painting."

Thursday, June 13, 2013

where do "big ideas" come from?

        Who, what, when, where and how do art teachers manage to come up with goals for my child's education? Although this may seem like a mystery for many parents, there is no real mystery to it at all. Goals or Big Ideas in the classroom are derivative of many sources. Parents can learn to think and analyze these goals by considering first the multiple origins of those ideas woven into the thinking processes of art educators who write lesson plans. 
  • Human instinct or natural survival are popular sources in the development of big ideas. Parents can recognize these by noting objectives that have to do with fine motor skills and the basic manipulation of materials. These objectives are seen as fundamentally necessary with all people no matter where they come from or what they believe in. Often times state schools encourage their teachers to pursue these goals above all others because it means that they will not need to worry about displeasing parents from culturally diverse backgrounds. However, a teacher who avoids teaching big ideas from any other resources besides these, avoids teaching his students to think about the why of art and this ultimately is a inferior art education. The best art education is based upon a healthy diet including a variety of influences.
  • Social or Community Values are usually those politically hot topics driven by all kinds of people from a wide variety of cultures. These big ideas will test the metal of an art teacher. How to teach variety without teaching in a condescending way and without insulting the intelligence of the parents and students in their care, becomes very important in the writing and deliberation of these lesson plans. A good teacher will be very selective here. Remember, no matter what you believe, there will always be someone who is insulted by it somewhere. Students need to be challenged and appreciative of differences in people in order to receive the highest form of art education. My reason for arguing this lies in the fact that students who learn to process through a wide variety of opinions while still maintaining the enduring qualities of their own beliefs are smarter, stronger, and ready to take on many of life's challenges. It is wonderful to keep little ones innocent but this does not mean that they should be naive. I understand that people often use these two words interchangeably but that is not how I am comparing the two. 
To be naive in my experience means that a student lacks wisdom and is easily misled.
To be innocent means that one maintains cultural values that dictate moral convictions.
  • The media or the marketplace are often categorized under visual culture in many teaching publications. However, I have listed them apart from the visual culture defined by social groups or from community values. My reason for doing this is because I believe that popular media often represents a powerful subgroup within a specific political party or belief system. These influences may also be, quite frankly, economically driven or laced with some other form of prejudice. The origins for big ideas based upon a wealthy, smaller population that means to influence or propagate private agendas may cause cultural havoc on young impressionable minds. It is probably better to save these lessons for mature students.
  • Big ideas have always included some personal agenda in the designing of lesson plans. Personal agenda does not need to be seen as negative. For example; if an art teacher is a sculptor and not a painter, this may increase the number of sculptural lessons that he will teach to your child.  Most teachers educate with those resources that they feel most comfortable with. However, there can be great negativity in personal agendas. If an art teacher does not believe that he has not benefited greatly in his choice of career, he may not teach art with the enthusiasm necessary to encourage your child or to believe in himself.
  • Genetics influence art education but to what end we are not very certain. There has been little study in this field in terms of art education as of yet. However, we are aware that the chromosomes specific children receive from their parents do directly influence the way in which they process creative information. Not only do Gardner's theories of education have much to do with this concept but those students born with a disability or who are particularly gifted may also influence the way a teacher writes and implements an art lesson plan.
  • Human History influences big ideas tremendously in nearly every lesson plan that your child will be taught. The obvious lessons are those that are based upon a specific artist or a past event.
  • Big ideas influenced by philosophy are often categorized as forms of indoctrination. Students are taught to follow and accept those principles common to a particular school of thought or art movement.
  • Big ideas specific to psychosomatic education are commonly referred to as age appropriate materials or gender specific materials. Psychosomatic education relies heavily on socialization as well as genetics so this is why I have included it on this list in addition to genetics.
article by Kathy Grimm copyrighted 2012 

Saturday, May 18, 2013

teaching art movements: street art

      Street art is art, specifically visual art, developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, sculpture, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerrilla art, and street installations. Typically, the term street art or the more specific post-graffiti is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art.

Traditional street painting on a whole new level. 

      Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. ‘Street’ artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. They attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them. John Fekner defines street art as "all art on the street that’s not graffiti".

Riverdance flashmob in Central Station Sydney.

      Whereas traditional graffiti artists have primarily used free-hand aerosol paints to produce their works, "street art" encompasses many other media and techniques, including: LED art, mosaic tiling, murals, stencil art, sticker art, "Lock On" street sculptures, street installations, wheatpasting, woodblocking, video projection, and yarn bombing. New media forms of graffiti, such as projection onto large city buildings, are an increasingly popular tool for street artists—and the availability of cheap hardware and software allows street artists to become more competitive with corporate advertisements. Much like open source software, artists are able to create art for the public realm from their personal computers, similarly creating things for free which compete with companies making things for profit.

Yarnbombing
 
      Traditional graffiti also has increasingly been adopted as a method for advertising; its trajectory has even in some cases led its artists to work on contract as graphic artists for corporations. Nevertheless, street art is a label often adopted by artists who wish to keep their work unaffiliated and strongly political. Street artists are those whose work is still largely done without official approval in public areas.
      For these reasons street art is sometimes considered "post-graffiti" and sometimes even "neo-graffiti." Street art can be found around the world and street artists often travel to other countries foreign to them so they can spread their designs. Read more . . .

Street Art Documentary:
  • Rock Fresh (2004), a documentary film about the challenging world of the graffiti artist
  • RASH (2005), a feature length documentary by Mutiny Media exploring the cultural value of Australian street art and graffiti
  • Bomb It (2008), a documentary film about graffiti and street art around the world
  • Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010), a documentary created by the artist Banksy about Thierry Guetta
  • Roadsworth: Crossing the Line (2007), a documentary film about the legal struggle of Montreal street artist Roadsworth
  • Street Art Awards (2010), opening of the street art festival in Berlin
  • [Las Calles Hablan] (2013), Las Calles Hablan, a feature length documentary about street art in Barcelona

learn about the piu piu project


"The Piu Piu or "dancing skirt" are Maori Textiles worn at traditional Maori religious and cultural events like Kapa Haka and Matariki. They are worn by both men and women and have been used in Maori life for hundreds of years.

This amazing Piu Piu maker, Weaver, and Artisan featured in the film is Leilani Rickard. She is one of the few Maori weavers left who has the knowledge and skill to make the Piu Piu in the ancient and traditional ways with raw materials like the Harakeke plant, swamp mud dyes, and geothermal processes only found in New Zealand. She is a true Maori Artisan."

NOTE: This Documentary Short Subject was made entirely with CLoMoSo technology including an HTC EVO 3D Cell Phone and an Apple MacBook Air Laptop.

Featuring:
Piu Piu Artist: Leilani Rickard
Piu Piu Assistant: Christopher Grant
Produced and Directed by James Obenshain, The CLoMoSo Organization
jobenshain@clomoso.com
www.clomoso.com