Video: Idea Channel

There's a new video series on Youtube from PBS Arts Online that I just love. The Idea Channel is, "a biweekly web series that examines the evolving relationship between modern technology and art." Or in simple terms, quirky and thoughtful 3 minute videos about art and pop culture. It's a great springboard for discussions and essays--if you're looking for something to spark thoughts on that subject. This is a great resource for your tech savy, pop culture loving teens. The host poses an off the wall question, and then quickly sets out his argument for the answer. I enjoy the fact that they're simple questions yet make you stop for a moment and really think.

Watch a video, respond to the questions posed in each short, maybe find some fresh inspiration or a new perspective on the world around you. Plus, they're just fun to watch!

This video is about Mario, which pretty much every kid has played at least one Mario Bros. game. But it's probably not how you or your kids have ever thought about the video games before: How is Mario like a Salvador Dali painting? Huh? There's more to it than you might think....

Website: Art 21

I've written about the tv show Art 21 previously, but thought it was worth mentioning again as they recently launched their own website, Art21.org. Before they had a sub-site within PBS' monolithic website, now they've got an independent page with more resources. It's incredibly simple to navigate with four main sections. You can look through content by artist, browse through the numerous videos and educational resources. 

Season 5 is coming out 2012!

My favorite thing about the website is all the videos you can watch (there's over 100 as of this writing!). Some of them are just clips from episodes, but there's a lot of original content that never saw airtime on tv.
The educational section has many resources I think you'll find helpful, especially a glossary of art terms. There's also accompanying educators' guides to give background information on the artists and art spotlighted in the show. It takes very little time to browse around and find information as they've laid it out so nicely.

I recommend Art 21 in general for older teens, as there can be mature themes discussed. Some artists like to be shocking and disgusting simply because they can. Personally, I don't find any artistic merit or educational value in a piece of work titled "Captain Ballsack." It's not edifying or enlightening to me. I suggest just skipping artists like that. Most of the artist interviews that I've watched are entertaining and educational with little objectionable content. Art 21 has helped me learn how to talk about art in an educated and understandable way. I've learned there is no one "right way" to discuss art; what matters is engaging the mind and asking questions and seeking answers.

Art 21 also has blog full of depth and insight, though I find the language tends to be fairly scholarly and the discussions pretty academic in nature. The posts tend to not be very understandable to the reader who isn't well versed in art history.

Video: Off Book - Street Art

Off Book is a web only series from PBS. Each video is under 10 minutes and discusses different aspects of modern art, from online culture to light painting to typography. My favorite so far features the street artist Swoon whose work I really love:

Resources: The Private Life of a Masterpiece

My Mom brings me home many treasures from our local library. The only reason I'm so well read up on all the art magazines is because she checks them out every month for me. I've watched many art documentaries she's found with her keen eye. One of her latest finds that I'm quickly coming to love is from the BBC: The Private Life of a Masterpiece. I'd never even heard of this show before my Mom brought it home.

Each episode is about one work of art, some famous (Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper for example) and others not so much (ever heard of Paolo Uccello?). So far, I've watched six episodes and thoroughly enjoyed them all. They're educational and entertaining, with much pertinent information about the time periods and artists. There's no recycling of stock images as some shows tend to do; also, you don't stare at talking heads forever instead of seeing the art in question. You get many close up shots of details that you normally couldn't see, even if you were standing right in front of the piece. The scholars and critics that offer commentary are insightful and help you see the art with fresh eyes.
Each episode is around 50 minutes long and there are 29 total in the series. This is a very good show and I highly recommend it.
Here's a clip from the episode about The Last Supper:
 

Resources: How do we experience art?

I get e-mail newsletters from Art 21 about different things they're working on. The Art 21 blog is kicking off a series about how we interact with art here in the 21st century. It's definitely worth taking a look at.
One article in particular caught my eye today. How do we experience art? It's a good question to think about, especially in regards to how you want your kids to learn about art. How you teach them about the arts is just as important as what you teach them. Is "art" something we do, a verb, active and alive, challenging us to think and try new things, or is it something we merely look at, passively taking it in and then moving on, a subject that has no relation to the rest of our lives?

Resources: American Masters

I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of PBS--they have so much information available on their website. Another tv show of theirs that you might find useful is American Masters, specifically the episodes on visual art for our purposes. It's a great show about those who have had a big impact on the cultural arts in America. There is an accompanying article about each artist you can read online. And of course, PBS always has a section for educators. Good stuff for the visually oriented amongst us.

Resources: Art 21

Art 21 is my favorite show to watch and re-watch. I always take some new inspiration or idea away whenever I watch it. I was introduced to it by one of my professors at Northwestern College. Each episode focuses on four artists, grouped by a loose theme (ex: memory). I really enjoy watching Art 21, because it helped me learn how to talk about my art. This is what PBS says about their show:
"... the only series on television to focus exclusively on contemporary visual art and artists in the United States, and it uses the medium of television to provide an experience of the visual arts that goes far beyond a gallery visit. Fascinating and intimate footage allows the viewer to observe the artists at work, watch their process as they transform inspiration into art, and hear their thoughts as they grapple with the physical and visual challenges of achieving their artistic visions."

I like hearing artists talk about how they make art and what inspires them. Especially artists whose work I don't understand, it helps me grasp their ideas and look at their art in a new way. I can go from, "That looks weird," to "I still think it looks weird, but now I know why the artist made it look that way." I can appreciate their work even if I don't find it that beautiful to look at.
 
I suggest this show for high school students, as some of the themes, discussions and art can contain mature subject matter. Also, Art 21 is definitely for those with some interest in art and a desire to expand their knowledge of the art world. 

The website for Art 21 also has a lot of resources to make use of. You can watch full episodes online, participate in discussions about the art, and, most importantly of all, they have an education section with lesson plans and project ideas. This section also includes an extensive glossary of terms that are used on the show. I highly recommend taking a look at the site. PBS is awesome for making all this information free and easy to access.

Here's a clip about one of my favorite artists, Julie Mehretu (the Walker has an enormous painting of hers in their collection):

Watch the full episode. See more ART:21.

You can also watch clips on Art 21's channel on youtube. It loads a bit faster than the PBS video player, and it's easier to browse through to select something.

Here's a trailer for season 5:

Resources: Minnesota Original

TPT recently debuted a new show called Minnesota Original. It's all about the local arts communities here in Minnesota. Each episode is broken up into several segments focusing on different aspects of the arts, from literary to music to drama to visual. It's got something for everyone. Episodes air on Thursdays at 7:30pm on tpt2. Every episode is also posted online at http://www.mnoriginal.org/art. You can watch a full episode or just choose individual segments. A fast internet connection is definitely a must. I like the fact that the site is simple and easy to navigate, with a bar right on top of the page that you can scroll through to find each episode or segment.

Here's a short video about mn original:

What is minnesota original? from mn original on Vimeo.


Educational, entertaining, and pretty darn interesting, it's a great introduction into the vibrant art community here in Minnesota.