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

1) Titles are often very important to figuring out just what's going on in an artwork. They can give clues to object, actions, people, or emotions that are important. The title of the painting to the right is written in French. It's called Tete-a-Tete. What do you think it might mean?

2) When talking about the elements of art, value means

3) Artists often decide to make parts of their works not look really real. This means the artwork is abstract. In the sculpture to the left, Chaim Gross made these acrobats look very heavy and blocky. Why might he have done that?

4) What are the secondary colors?

5) The sculpture of the lady riding a horse to the right is a piece of folk art, and was used as a store sign for a business that made boots. Folk art is different from fine art because

6) Many times in photography and printing, you'll see a little number at the bottom of the piece, for example, "1/10" or "46/125." What do you think this number means?

7) The olla (water jug) you see at the left was made hundreds of years ago by Native Americans who lived in the southwestern United States. Pottery was often decorated with patterns and symbols - pictures that represent something else, like an important thing, quality, or belief. Thinking about the environment of the Pueblo peoples, what do you think these diagonal lines might symbolize?

8) The creature you see to the right is called a zhenmu shou, or “tomb guardian beast.” It has a single horn, elephant’s ears, bird’s wings, and deer’s hooves. In China, two of these would be placed inside a tomb, one on each side of the door. Why do you think a tomb needed these guardian beasts, especially on the inside?

9) The picture you see to the left was painted by John Willard Raught, a local artist from Dunmore, Pennsylvania. Which of the following words best describes it?

10) Oil, acrylic, and watercolor are all types of what?


	It's hard to talk about art without actually looking at some. Even though we've thrown in a couple of brainteasers about painting and the like, for the most part you'll be inspecting some amazing pieces from the Everhart's collection. Let's just see how good an art critic you really are!
	1) Titles are often very important to figuring out just what's going on in an artwork. They can give clues to object, actions, people, or emotions that are important. The title of the painting to the right is written in French. It's called Tete-a-Tete. What do you think it might mean? a) a disease caused by smoking b) a private conversation between two people c) a famous color of nailpolish d) eating lunch 2) When talking about the elements of art, value means a) how much an artwork costs. b) how an artwork shows the beliefs of a community. c) how an artist uses light and dark in an artwork. d) how important an artwork is. 3) Artists often decide to make parts of their works not look really real. This means the artwork is abstract. In the sculpture to the left, Chaim Gross made these acrobats look very heavy and blocky. Why might he have done that? a) To say the circus life wasn't healthy. b) To show the women's physical - and maybe emotional - strength. c) To focus on the movement of the acrobats, and not the acrobats themselves. d) both a and c 4) What are the secondary colors? a) orange, green, & violet b) hot pink, lime, & neon blue c) red, yellow, & blue d) Duh! There are no secondary colors. 5) The sculpture of the lady riding a horse to the right is a piece of folk art, and was used as a store sign for a business that made boots. Folk art is different from fine art because a) the artist was not formally trained in art. b) we often don't know the name of the person who created the work. c) many times it had a practical use, and wasn't made to just be looked at. d) all of the above 6) Many times in photography and printing, you'll see a little number at the bottom of the piece, for example, "1/10" or "46/125." What do you think this number means? a) It gives the weight of the piece. b) It indicates the number of critics who liked it versus those who didn't like it. c) It gives the length and width of the piece. d) It is the print number in an edition, for example, for 1/10, of ten prints made, this is the first one. 7) The olla (water jug) you see at the left was made hundreds of years ago by Native Americans who lived in the southwestern United States. Pottery was often decorated with patterns and symbols - pictures that represent something else, like an important thing, quality, or belief. Thinking about the environment of the Pueblo peoples, what do you think these diagonal lines might symbolize? a) lightning or rain b) ocean waves c) Christmas trees d) zippers 8) The creature you see to the right is called a zhenmu shou, or “tomb guardian beast.” It has a single horn, elephant’s ears, bird’s wings, and deer’s hooves. In China, two of these would be placed inside a tomb, one on each side of the door. Why do you think a tomb needed these guardian beasts, especially on the inside? a) They kept out tomb robbers. b) They protected the spirit's journey into the next realm. c) They prevented the dead's spirit from exiting the tomb. d) They were pets of the dead. 9) The picture you see to the left was painted by John Willard Raught, a local artist from Dunmore, Pennsylvania. Which of the following words best describes it? a) portrait b) abstract c) modern d) landscape 10) Oil, acrylic, and watercolor are all types of what? a) sculpture b) fabric c) paint d) candy