Printmaking using a gel plate offers many options for combining materials, tools, and techniques to achieve an array of effects on both paper and fabric. Beginning with basic acrylic paints, explore the possibilities for layering with stamps, stencils, inks, and acrylic paint markers.
In an afternoon of artistic experimentation designed to strengthen creative muscles and deepen skills in visual expression, explore five distinct modes of visual thinking—memory, observation, imagination, narrative, and experimentation—to complete eight expressive journaling exercises using the marking and mapping approach.
Drawing on one of the greatest Post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides a five-part series of online tours that examine the paintings of artists who helped shape a revolutionary period in the history of art. High-definition Deep Zoom technology provides close-up views of their canvases. This session highlights Henri Matisse.
In the late 14th century, the Catholic Church became a house divided against itself when it was confronted by two popes claiming to be the rightful heir of St. Peter. The crisis persisted for decades and even led to the election of a third pope. What has become known as the Papal Schism or the Western Schism weakened the papacy and had long-lasting effects. Historian John Freymann examines the context and causes of the schism and highlights the theological and ecclesiastical consequences of this episode in the history of Catholicism.
Students create sculptures in wood based on their own ideas, while learning to use basic tools. The course focuses on assembly techniques rather than carving.
The Veneto comprises the capital city of Venice, built on the waters of the lagoon, and many mainland cities including Padua, Vicenza, and Verona, all of which are important centers for art, culture, and history. Art historian Sophia D’Addio explores the region’s cities and countryside, its elegant villas (including those designed by Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio) and its thriving wine industry. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Smithsonian Associates speaker Paul Glenshaw returns to the Art + History series to look at great works of art in their historical context. In examining John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence, he presents two narratives in tandem: the story of the Declaration of Independence and the events preceding and directly after July 4, 1776, and how they ultimately intersected with the multifaceted career of Trumbull, a soldier, artist, and diplomat who was on a first-name basis with the founders of the country. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
In an increasingly data-driven world anyone can fall victim to mind control, says historian of science Rebecca Lemov, who examines how brainwashing techniques once reserved for warfare and cults are now woven into the fabric of everyday life. She traces mind control from procedures used against American POWs in North Korea to the “soft” brainwashing of today’s social media.
