The Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science & Art - Art


	Although the Everhart Museum has been around since 1908, our collecting of fine art didn't really start until 1929. Since that time, we have collected works from all over the world. We are especially proud of the pieces done by local artists like John Willard Raught, Priscilla Longshore Garrett, and Hope Horn, among others. You'll have to stop by and take a look! Quite often people worry about getting the "meaning" of a painting. The truth is, many times no one but the artist knows what the work's about. That said, a lot of times you can figure out what's going on, just by looking for the clues the artist has left. See how you do with the painting from our collection below:

	A portrait is what we call a painting that has a person - or several people - in it. Even though you might not know who the person is, you can often figure out a lot just by looking. Some of the best spots to check out? The person's face, body, and clothes; the background; and other objects in the painting. Here. Try it. Look closely at the woman to the right. Can you answer the following questions? How old do you think she is? When do you think she lived? What time of year is it? Where is she? What is she doing? Is she wealthy? Why or why not? What do her arms tell you about her? Do you think she is good at her job? Why? Who's that in the background? Why do you think he's blurry? Can you tell how she is feeling? Happy, sad, or something else? What is she looking at? We bet you were able to learn quite a bit about this woman, even though we'll never know her name!

	A landscape is a work about the out-of-doors. It can be of the country or city. The seashore or the desert. A river or a highway. No matter what else is in it - even people - if it's outside, it's a landscape. Just like with a portrait, by looking closely you can learn a lot about why the artist picked this place to paint. Just take a look to the left. The building in the middle of the painting is called a breaker. Inside the breaker, coal would be crushed into little pieces to heat homes and power trains. People - some as young as eight - would work inside for ten hours a day. What season is it in the painting? What time of day is it? What's the weather like? Why aren't there any people? How do the colors in the painting make you feel? Do you think this place is real or imaginary? Would you like to walk into this painting? Why or why not? How do you think the artist felt about these breakers? When we talk about this painting at the museum, we always like to point out that small strip of sunlight in the background. See it? Why do you think Mr. Raught put it there?

	Lots of people think still lifes are boring. It's just a bunch of stuff - like fruit, bowls, and bottles - placed on a table, that doesn't move. In truth, still lifes are one of the hardest things an artist can do, and one of the best ways to develop his or her skills. To do a still life well, one needs to really study the objects, looking at their shape, how the light hits them, and where the shadows fall. This is especially tricky when you start putting lots of objects next to each other! Some of the best artists in the world are famous for their still lifes, like Cezanne, Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, Escher, and even Warhol. The painting you see to the left is a little different than the traditional still life in that it doesn't try to look realistic (really real). In fact, this painting doesn't seem very still at all! Take a look at some of these features: Look at the colors the artist used. How do they make you feel? How would it feel if the flower was a different color, like light pink? How about the lines the artist used. Are they hard to see or easy? Straight or curvy? Why do you think they're like that? How was the paint put on this canvas? Try to move your hands and arms like you think the artist might have when painting. What else do you see in the painting? Is it just a still life, or could you call it something else? (hint hint - look above on this page. Why do you think the artist picked these objects to paint? If you were going to make a still life, what would you choose? Why?

	Abstract art scares a lot of people. Not because it's like a big monster hiding under your bed, but because it doesn't look really real and people are afraid they won't "get" it. Sometimes it doesn't look like anything at all. Artists make abstract art for lots of reasons, like to show energy, emotion, or a belief. Even though you can see the people in this painting to the right, they don't look like they would if Mr. Goodnough had taken a photograph. Let's see if we can figure out why he did this. What are the people doing in this painting? To help you figure it out, try moving your body like them. What sort of shapes did the artist use to make his figures? What kinds of colors did he use? How do they make you feel? What sort of lines did the artist use? Are they light, soft, curvy, or straight? How do they make you feel? How did the artist put paint on the canvas? Are his brushstrokes small and dainty or big and blocky? Can you imagine how he was feeling when he did this? What if I asked you to make an abstract painting of yourself doing your favorite thing - say, playing soccer or hanging out with your friends - what shapes would you use? How about colors? Would things look like a blur, like a ball whizzing past, or slightly wavy like the ocean, because you're so relaxed? Think about how you can show how you feel.