Art Projects
Express your creativity with a range of hands-on art activities using materials found in your home. Ages are suggested for all art projects, however, they are designed to be open ended and adaptable to all audiences. Please check our calendar for upcoming live Zoom art workshops.
Pixel Portraits — Spring 2022
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Inspired by Claudia Blanco’s 8-bit Frida, 2017, on view in The World of Frida.
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Collection Conversations: Raul Caracoza & George Segal — Spring 2022
Designed for ages 8+. Duration: open-ended. Inspired by Raul Caracoza’s Young Frida (Green), 2006, on view in Frida Kahlo in Context and George Segal’s Untitled (Cast of a Face with Bust), 1974.
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Landscape in Lines — Fall 2021
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Inspired by Delilah Pierce’s DC Waterfront, Maine Avenue, 1957, on view in African American Art in the 20th Century.
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Communities Co-Create — Fall 2021
Designed for ages 8+. Duration: open-ended. Inspired by Jacob Lawrence’s Community, 1986, on view in African American Art in the 20th Century.
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Experience as Influence — Fall 2021
Designed for ages 8+. Duration: open-ended. Inspired by Hale Woodruff’s Georgia Landscape, 1934–35, on view in African American Art in the 20th Century.
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Through Memory’s Eye — Fall 2021
Designed for ages 8+. Duration: open-ended. Inspired by Benny Andrews’ The Long Rows, 1966, on view in African American Art in the 20th Century.
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Portrait Within a Portrait — Fall 2021
Designed for ages 10+. Duration: open-ended. Inspired by Palmer Hayden’s The Janitor Who Paints, ca. 1930, on view in African American Art in the 20th Century.
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Story Objects — Fall 2021
Designed for ages 12+. Duration: open-ended. Inspired by Melvin Edwards’ Tambo, 1993, on view in African American Art in the 20th Century.
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Festive Functions — October 8, 2020
Get inspired by Derrick Adams’ installation We Came to Party and Plan, closing Sunday, October 18, and design your own party hat!
Artist from Home: Crayon Collage with Teresa Pereira — August 7, 2020
We invite you to join artist Teresa Pereira for this virtual pre-recorded workshop in which she’ll demonstrate how to create a collage inspired by Susan Hall’s striking 1978 painting, Moving Home. It requires simple materials: scissors; glue; black Sharpie or any fine-tipped black marker; drawing paper (11 × 14″ or smaller); crayons (Crayola’s box of 24 works well but any will do); and construction paper. Download templates for the helicopter and house for you to print and use here. Support provided by Art Bridges.
On the Edge: Exploring the Work of Jordan Matter — August 4, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Stage a tableau vivant, or living picture, inspired by Jordan Matter’s Vista.
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Summer Fridays: Exploring the Work of Richard Mayhew — July 28, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Make a landscape version of yourself inspired by Richard Mayhew’s Friday.
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It’s Personal: Exploring the Work of Georgia O’Keeffe — July 7, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Make a detailed, monochromatic work on paper inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s Banana Blossom.
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Female Gaze: Exploring the Work of Mickalene Thomas — June 30, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Make an abstracted portrait out of collage inspired by Mickalene Thomas’ Clarivel with Black Blouse with White Ribbon.
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Abstract Landscapes: Exploring the Work of Robert Motherwell — June 29, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Using markers, crayons, or paint, create a series of abstract drawings or paintings of a landscape of your choice, inspired by Robert Motherwell’s Summertime in Italy (with Lines). #RobertMotherwell
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The Story in the Photograph: Exploring the Work of Mary Frey — June 24, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Tell a story through photographs inspired by Mary Frey’s Girls Sunbathing.
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Worlds in Wood: Exploring the Work of Louise Nevelson — June 24, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Create a mixed-media sculpture series inspired by Louise Nevelson’s Sky Enclosure.
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Chow Time: Exploring the Work of Robert Rauschenberg — June 17, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Remix everyday objects into artworks through manipulation and collage, layering multiple graphics, patterns, thread, paint, and other art mediums upon one another to create something new, inspired by Robert Rauschenberg’s Calf Startena from the Chow Bag series.
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Past Worlds / Future People: Exploring the Work of Derrick Adams — June 17, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Cut out and assemble found images, photographs, drawings, and/or text in a collage that depicts your future fantasy, experimenting with layout and design, inspired by Derrick Adams’ Orbiting Us #18.
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People & Patterns: Exploring the Work of Ebony Bolt — June 9, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: open-ended. Choose a subject, create multiple sketches over time, and arrange them in a pattern, inspired by Ebony Bolt’s Botanical Dreams in the Concrete Jungle.
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Experiment with One-Point Perspective — May 26, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: 30 minutes. This activity is part of The Map as Art Teaching Resource for Pre-K–Grade 12.
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Design Your Own Sculptural Survey — May 26, 2020
Designed for ages 5+. Duration: 30 minutes. This activity is part of The Map as Art Teaching Resource for Pre-K–Grade 12.
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Mapping Yourself & Your Interests — May 18, 2020
Become a cartographer, but instead of mapping a geographical location, map your interests and talents. Designed for ages 10–18. Duration: 30 minutes. This activity is part of the River Mapping Teaching Resource for Grades 4–12.
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Interior Topographies — May 18, 2020
Experiment with contour line maps and depict your interior landscape. Designed for ages 10–18. Duration: 30 minutes. This activity is part of the River Mapping Teaching Resource for Grades 4–12.
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Illustrations Mark My Spots — May 18, 2020
Create an illustrated panoramic map highlighting your favorite and most visited landmarks. Designed for ages 10–18. Duration: 30 minutes. This activity is part of the River Mapping Teaching Resource for Grades 4–12.
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Story Mapping — May 11, 2020
Come up with your own hero’s myth and develop a story. Designed for ages 10–18. Duration: 30–45 minutes. This activity is part of the Sky Legends Teaching Resource for Grades 5–12.
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Envisioning Your Own Hero’s Journey — May 11, 2020
Illustrate your hero’s myth in a comic strip. Designed for ages 10–18. Duration: 30–45 minutes. This activity is part of the Sky Legends Teaching Resource for Grades 5–12.
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Exploring Scale: Make a Miniature Leisure Scene — May 8, 2020
Experiment with scale and size, and create your own three-dimensional leisure scene inspired by Derrick Adams: Buoyant and the HRM permanent collection with materials you can find at home! Designed for ages 10+. Duration: 45 minutes–1 hour.
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Sharpening the Mind’s Eye — May 4, 2020
Draw a blind contour drawing of someone in your home or yourself! Designed for ages 8+. Duration: 20 minutes. This activity is part of the Portraiture Teaching Resource for Grades 3–12.
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Draw a Selfie — May 4, 2020
Study your own face and draw a self-portrait using a mirror. Designed for ages 8+. Duration: 20 minutes. This activity is part of the Portraiture Teaching Resource for Grades 3–12.
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Portrait in a Scene — May 4, 2020
Using the medium of your choice, sketch a scene that may be missing from those you already have. Designed for ages 8+. Duration: 20 minutes. This activity is part of the Portraiture Teaching Resource for Grades 3–12.
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Planning Your Party — April 27, 2020
Engage in this hands-on workshop created by Teaching Artist-in-Residence Tijay Mohammed, who guides you step-by-step in making a mixed-media collage. Celebrate a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or just the joy of life as part of a community! Inspired by We Came to Party and Plan, on view in Derrick Adams: Buoyant. Designed for ages 4+.
Abstraction Warm Up — April 20, 2020
Choose an object or image and complete a grid of sketches, from realistic to abstract. Designed for ages 11–18. Duration: 30 minutes. This activity is part of the Self in the City Teaching Resource for Grades 6–12.
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Representing My Own Community — April 20, 2020
Choose one of the forms of community from your own life as the subject for an abstract work of collage art that reflects upon this time of social isolation. Designed for ages 11–18. Duration: 30 minutes. This activity is part of the Self in the City Teaching Resource for Grades 6–12.
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A Poem Doesn’t Need to Be Explained — April 20, 2020
Social distancing has affected all of us in significant ways. Write your own poem inspired by poet Frank O’Hara’s style in response to a community or personal relationship that you want to celebrate. Designed for ages 11–18. Duration: 30 minutes. This activity is part of the Self in the City Teaching Resource for Grades 6–12.
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Landscape Haiku — April 20, 2020
Designed for ages 6–18. Duration: 20–30 minutes. This activity is part of the Naturalist’s Journey Teaching Resource.
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Create Your Own Landscape — April 13, 2020
Designed for ages 6–18. Duration: 20–30 minutes. This activity is part of the Naturalist’s Journey Teaching Resource.
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Patterns Around You — April 13, 2020
Examine the shapes and patterns on view in our historic home, Glenview, and Red Grooms’ The Bookstore. Then, explore your environment and hunt for more! Designed for ages 4–11. Duration: 20 minutes.
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Create Your Own Pattern — April 13, 2020
Take a close look at the tiles found in Glenview’s Great Hall and Red Grooms’ The Bookstore. Then, make your own pattern and experiment with different types of symmetry and reflection. Designed for ages 4–11. Duration: 20 minutes.
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Make Some Noise! — April 13, 2020
Experiment with making shapes and patterns through sound and dance! Designed for ages 4–11. Duration: 20 minutes.
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Outside My Window — April 6, 2020
In The Studio, Jacob Lawrence depicts both an interior scene (the inside of his art studio) and an exterior scene (the cityscape that is outside the window). Drawing inspiration from this work—on view in Self in the City: Highlights from the Collections of the Hudson River Museum and Art Bridges—create your own depiction of the view from your window. Designed for ages 8–11. Duration: 20–30 minutes.
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Imagining My City — April 6, 2020
Sometimes, home is an emotion and not necessarily the physical place where we spend our time, sleep, and eat. Sometimes, we have to travel using our memories and imagination to feel at home. Look closely at Jacob Lawrence’s The Studio and Susan Hall’s Moving Home—both on view in Self in the City—and draw your scene floating by your window. Designed for ages 8–11. Duration: 20–30 minutes.
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Create a ‘Free Time Collage’ — March 30, 2020
What does free time mean to you? Inspired by the joyful Floaters series in Derrick Adams: Buoyant, use materials from around your home—such as old magazines and fabric, cardboard, and glue—to create a self-portrait that reflects the activities that bring you joy. Designed for ages 5–11. Duration: 20–30 minutes.
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Design Your Own Joyful Floater — March 30, 2020
These days, pool floats come in all shapes and sizes! Take a close look at the Floaters series by Derrick Adams: Buoyant, and use our template to draw your dream pool float inspired by something that you love. Designed for ages 5–11. Duration: 20–30 minutes.
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