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What's New:

THE ART ZONE

NGAkids mobile

Build an interactive mobile online (Shockwave, 76k)

Explore the third dimension with 3-D Twirler (Shockwave, 68k)

Construct a geometric sculpture with Cubits (Shockwave, 56k)

Delve into Diamonds
(3 Shockwave interactives)

RiverRun - a flowing stream of colorful shapes for young NGAkids (Shockwave, 48k)

PixelFace draws interactive portraits online (Shockwave, 168k)

Collage Machine
(Shockwave, 788k)

What's happening?
Current Exhibitions

Dan Flavin

Dan Flavin: A Retrospective Inside Scoop (PDF,128k)

homework
Searching for something? Need help finding it? If you're looking for information about specific artists or works of art that are not mentioned in NGAkids, just search the collection. You can learn about the history of the National Gallery of Art or read gallery guides in five languages. Your teachers will find interesting activities and lesssons in the NGAClassroom section. There are many places on the main Web site to explore.

NGAclassroom

NGAloanfinder

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Lizzy & Gordon Visit the Sculpture Garden

Adventures with Art (Activities & Projects)

 

Be sure to check the Calendar of Events for up-to-date information about things to see and do at the National Gallery of Art. If you're planning a visit, you might want to attend the Children's Film Program or other Family Activities related to special exhibitions and the permanent collections.

films for kids
No registration is required. All children’s film programs are shown in the East Building auditorium. Programs are free and are subject to change without notice. Seating is offered on a first-come, first-seated basis. For up-to-date information on the current month’s films, please call the Children’s Film Program information line at (202) 789-4995. 

Goofy, Hilarious Animated Shorts Ages 6 and up, Saturday, October 9, 10:30 and 11:30 am. Join us for a series of short films sure to put a smile on your face. Films to be shown include Yo (John Weldon, Canada, 3 mins.), Cloud Warriors (Henry and John Bergin, USA, 11 mins.), Losing Face (Sebastian Danta, Australia, 3 mins.), Captain Bligh (Derek Roczen, Germany, 4 mins.), A Slippery Tale (Susanne Seidel, Germany, 8 mins.), and Circuit Marine (Isabelle Favez, Canada, 8 mins.).  

Stories in Art

For children ages four to eight with an adult companion, this program combines storytelling with looking at one or two works of art and participating in a hands-on activity. Each program lasts approximately forty-five minutes. Program times, dates, and topics follow. For information, call (202) 789-3030. These drop-in programs are designed for individual families; we cannot accommodate groups. No registration is required, but space is limited. Please arrive fifteen minutes before the program begins.

Boy Chief - CatlinThe Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Sunday, October 24, 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. Meet at West Building Rotunda.

What was life like on the plains for Native Americans in the 1800s? Come and explore the art of George Catlin to find out. Listen to the story of Little Gopher, a Plains Indian boy with a special gift. He brought the sunset to the earth—but how? The legend of the Indian paintbrush flower will tell you. Participants will make their own Indian paintbrush flower.

Did you know the National Gallery of Art has more than 350 paintings by George Catlin?

family workshops

All workshops are designed for children accompanied by an adult. Family Workshops are free, but preregistration is required. To register, please call (202) 789-3030.   

Dan Flavin retrospective
credit

Lights! Color! Space! Ages 6 to 12, Sundays, October 17, November 21, and December 5, 1:00-3:00 pm. Meet at East Building entrance. How do you make a work of art out of fluorescent light bulbs? Find out by exploring the exhibition Dan Flavin: A Retrospective. Learn about the artist’s innovative use of materials, and then make your own works of art using “glowing” materials. Led by museum educators Brandy Vause and Nathalie Ryan. Note: During this program, children will be divided into two groups according to their age.

 Special event

Explore Islamic Art Saturday, November 6, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday, November 7, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, East Building

Join us for a weekend of free, drop-in family programs exploring the exhibition Palace to Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Learn about textiles, ceramics, and calligraphy. Daily activities include music performances by the Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble and hands-on activities. Decorate a ceramic tile to take home! On November 6 at 11:00 am in the East Building auditorium, award-winning author David Macaulay will speak about his book Mosque, followed by a book signing. For a detailed schedule of events, visit this page closer to the date of the program or call (202) 842-6254.

Art Zone

interactive art that you can make online

Visit the Art Zone for online art activities and games.
(Art Zone interactives require Shockwave player)

Famiily guides

Inside Scoop on Dan Flavin
The exhibition Dan Flavin: A Retrospective will be on view at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, through January 9, 2005. Download the Inside Scoop in Acrobat format (PDF, 128 k).

CHILDREN'S GUIDES TO PAST EXHIBITIONS

maya children's guideChildren's Guide to the exhibition Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya (PDF, 1 MB). The exhibition at the National Gallery of Art closed July 25, 2004. It will be on view at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, September 4, 2004–January 2, 2005

Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya, the first exhibition ever devoted to this subject in the United States, contains 130 masterworks drawn from the some 30 public and private lenders in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Chile, the United States, Switzerland, England, and Australia. The exhibition includes stone sculptures, ceramics, masks, and other precious works commissioned by ancient Maya kings and queens. In a period of just 200 years, from AD 600-800, Maya kings and nobles, while living in the tropical rain forests of southern Mexico and adjacent Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize, transformed Maya art, achieving a peak of dramatic expression and naturalism unmatched in the ancient New World. Using examples from the ancient Maya cities of Palenque, Toniná, Yaxchilán, and Bonampak, among others, the exhibition examines political and religious power in the royal court, which served as the central force in the life of each city.

Bearden's childrens guideVuillard family guideAncient Egypt Family Guide

Download The Art of Romare Bearden Children's Guide in PDF format. The Bearden exhibition at the National Gallery of Art closed January 4, 2004. The exhibition will be on view at:
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 14, 2004–January 9, 2005
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, January 29–April 24, 2005

The Édouard Vuillard exhibition at the National Gallery has closed, but the Family Guide is still online.

The Quest for Immortality: The Art of Ancient Egypt Family Guide is available in PDF format. The Art of Ancient Egypt may be seen through 2007 at:
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, September 12, 2004–January 23, 2005
Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, June 11–October 9, 2006
Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Oregon, November 5, 2006–March 4, 2007
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, September 2–December 31, 2007

Adventures with Art book cover image Several activities on this site are based on the National Gallery of Art Activity Book: 25 Adventures with Art by Maura A. Clarkin, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., in association with the National Gallery of Art. (This book is being reprinted by the publisher and should be available soon.)

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