American Identity Through Paintings

American Identity Through Paintings
Grades 8 -12

This school program provides students an opportunity to learn about visual arts and American history, apply their knowledge to a specific work of art, and present what they have learned to family, friends, and peers.  Students in participating schools visit the Museum three times in a year, building a visual arts and American history vocabulary, developing communication and critical thinking skills, and learning about American history and art using the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Collection. Trained docents lead each 1½-hour thematic visit, actively and creatively engaging students in the specific theme of the tour.

Pre-visit lesson plans meant to introduce students to the series are provided to educators.  The materials are developed to supplement classroom lessons and support the information and concepts presented in this multi-visit program.

American history topics covered during the three Museum visits/tours include:

Visit #1: American Identity Through Paintings – 1492-1870

• Explorers, Colonies, and the Birth of the Nation (1492-1815)
• Western Expansion and the Civil War (1816-1870)

Visit #2: American Identity Through Paintings – 1871-Present

• Growth and Change in a Nation (1871-1955)
• Modern America (1956-present)

Visit #3:
Teams of students select and study an American painting from the Museum’s Collection. The work of art is studied in-depth, both at the Museum and in the classroom. At the Museum, students sketch the chosen American painting and complete an Artwork Selection and Study Sheet that will assist them with preparing for the oral presentation, descriptive writing, and aesthetic response activities. In the classroom, students individually engage in descriptive writing about their chosen American painting, and then in teams, develop a brief oral presentation and an aesthetic response to their chosen work of art in either one or a combination of art forms: music, dance, poetry, visual art, or short story.

Working with the Museum, participating schools schedule, organize, and implement a culminating American Identity Through Paintings Presentations family event at the Museum. This event is an opportunity for the teams of students to showcase their newly acquired knowledge and aesthetic responses to small groups of their parents/caregivers, guests, and peers. Presentations are limited in length based on number of students participating in program. (Average presentation is 5 minutes in length.)

The special program fee is $3 per student per visit. One adult chaperone per ten students is required; these adults are admitted free of charge. There is no admission charge for students, families, and guests to attend the American Identity Through Paintings Presentations family event at the Museum. Space is limited to 30 students or less per visit.
For more information about how your school can begin participating in this program, contact the school and teacher programs manager at 414-224-3827 | jane.nicholson@mam.org.