Selected Art Websites

Some really cool websites with loads of information and pictures...

Art Cyclopedia
A great Art search engine with lots of info and images...

ArtFile
Art History, information about the styles and movements, artist biographies, timelines, and more...

Artchive 
An online Fine Art gallery with fine art scans. There are more than 2,000 art scans from over 200 different artists.

Artnet
Art auction site to buy, sell, and research Fine Art & Design online. Its Art Gallery features 170,000 artworks by nearly 35,000 artists from 60 countries.

ArtWolf
An online art magazine with many useful links and information.

AskArt
Online database containing biographical information about thousands of artists, as well as book and periodical references, along with artists' auction records and images.

Comiclopedia
"An illustrated compendium of over 12,000 comic artists from around the world!"

Smart History
Smarthistory is a website that focuses on art's global history. The website has many videos and articles which cover art and cultural heritage that range from the Paleolithic to the present.

The Artists
Modern & Contemporary Visual Artists (since 1900) are represented with their portrait, biography and/or portfolio, with links to web resources for further research, with images of their artworks, articles, and if it exists, the artist's personal website.

The Art Story
The Art Story aims to demystify Modern Art (1850-1980) and further art appreciation. "Modern Art is about ideas that should be exposed to the world, and this website and the organization as a whole strive to achieve this goal" (Michael Zurakhinsky).

... and, of course, Wikipedia's Visual Arts Portal

Art Teacher Blogs & Websites

Here is a short list of great blogs and websites run specifically by Art teachers. Check them out and follow/bookmark if you like...

Art Class Curator  by Cindy Ingram

Art for Small Hands by Julie Voigt

Art is Basic by Marcia Beckett

Art of Apex High by Ian Sanders and Kimberly Sudkamp

Art Projects for Kids by Kathy Barbro

Art Teacher Resources by Shelley Deck

Art Teachers Hate Glitter (not your typical art teacher blog)

Art With Mr. E by Ted Daniel Edinger

Art Units by Frank Curkovic (Yokohama International School)

Artful Artsy Amy by Amy Zschaber

Berryart's Blog by Christy Berry

Deep Space Sparkle by Patty Palmer

Draws Attention! by Dana Castrigano

K-6 Art by Rina Vinetz

Kids Artists by Jacquelien

Lines, Dots and Doodles by Holly B.

Mrs. Brown's Art Class by Mrs. Brown

Mrs Knight's Smartest Artists by Hunter Knight

Mrs Picasso's Art Room by Denise Pannell

Once upon an Art Room by Chani

One Crayola Short by Jodi Youngman 

Organized Chaos by Ms Novak

smART Class by Natalie

Student Art Guide by Amiria Gale, George Robinson-White, Maryann Darmody, Melissa Dyer-Causton

The Calvert Canvas: Adventures in Middle School by Mrs. Kamp

The Helpful Art Teacher by Rachel Wintemberg

Also, you might want to check the Blogs I follow for even more...

Online Art Collections & Museums

Here is a list of online Art Collections and Art Museum websites:

(arranged alphabetically) 

Allen Memorial Art Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

BBC Your Paintings 

British Museum

         Brooklyn Museum           

Butler Institute Of American Art

Centre Pompidou 

Cincinnati Art Museum

Corcoran Gallery of Art

Daimler Art Collection
Dallas Museum of Art 

Dayton Art Institute

Digital Imaging Project

E.G. Buhrle Collection

                   Guggenheim (NY)            

Guggenheim (Venice)

Johnson Museum of Art

Louvre Musée

MoCA   

MoMA 

   Musee d'Orsay        

Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) 

           National Gallery (London)           

National Gallery of Art (Washington)

National Gallery of Australia

National Museums (Liverpool)

National Portrait Gallery

NCMA 

          Newark Museum           

Norton Simon Museum

NYPL Digital Gallery

P.D. Cangelaris Collection

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

Philadelphia Museum of Art 

              Prado Museum         
San Francisco MoMA   

Sheldon Museum of Art

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Tate

The Bowes Museum

The Getty

The Hermitage Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The National Gallery (London)

The Picasso Project

UAMA 

   Uffizi Gallery   

 Vatican Museums    

Walker Art Center 

Web Gallery of Art *

Web Museum

Useful Textbooks for Art Teachers

Here is a list of very useful textbooks with useful teaching/learning content and art lesson ideas

(arranged alphabetically)

* Note: links take you to either the Publisher's website or the Amazon store


200 Projects to Strengthen Your Art Skills: For Aspiring Art Students
Author: Valerie Colston
Publisher: Barron's
Price: $22
Challenging tutorials, 35 imaginative projects to complete, and tips from professional artists introduce beginning students to the building blocks of art. This profusely illustrated book teaches serious beginners the fundamental skills of graphic design as an introduction to their formal study in fine art, illustration, computer game design, interior design, animation, and virtually all other avenues in the visual arts.

Art Is Fundamental: Teaching the Elements and Principles of Art in Elementary School
Author: Eileen S. Prince
Publisher: Zephyr Press
Price: $20
This comprehensive Art curriculum can easily be integrated into any teacher's existing instruction and provides thrilling and rewarding projects for Elementary Art students, including printmaking techniques, tessellations, watercolors, calligraphic lines, organic form sculptures, and value collages. Detailed lessons build on one another in a logical progression and explore the elements of texture, color, shape, line, form, and value, and principles such as balance, unity, contrast, movement, distortion, emphasis, pattern and rhythm.

Art Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Adventures in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Paper, and Mixed Media
Authors: Susan Schwake, Rainer Schwake
Publisher: Quarry Books
Price: $16
Art Lab for Kids features 52 art projects set into weekly lessons, beginning with drawing, moving through painting and printmaking, and then building to paper collage and mixed media. Each lesson features and relates to the work and style of contemporary artists. Lisa The labs can be used as singular projects or to build up to a year of hand-on art experiences. Colorful photos illustrate how different people using the same lesson will yield different results, exemplifying the way the lesson brings out each artist’s personal style.


The Art Teacher's Book of Lists (2nd edition)
Author: Helen D. Hume
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Price: $33
For teachers who need accurate and updated information about the world of art, artists, and art movements, including the arts of Africa, Asia, Native America and other diverse cultures. The book is filled with tools, resources, and ideas for creating art in multiple media. The book covers topics such as architecture, drawing, painting, graphic arts, photography, digital arts, and much more.

Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun
Author: Carla Sonheim
Publisher:
Price: $16
Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists offers a year's worth of assignments, projects, ideas, and techniques. It gives students a fun way to learn and gain expertise in drawing through experimentation and play. The students gain new skills and confidence, allowing them to take their work to a new level.

Dynamic Art Projects for Children
Author: Denise M. Logan
Publisher: Crystal Productions
Price: $25
The 17 projects in this book are presented in a clear and organized manner. Each activity suggests the appropriate age range; the art concepts that it encompasses; style and/or the artist being introduced; a materials list; a definition of terms; and photographic, step-by-step instructions. Abstract cityscapes, fantasy space art, Paul Klee landscapes, texture in nature, and African masks are just a few of the concepts explored. All projects include samples completed by students in the representative age group.

Exploring Art (2nd edition)
Author: Gene Mittler, Rosalind Ragans, Jean Morman Unsworth, Faye Scannell
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Price: $176
Exploring Art gives students insights into the ways artists are inspired, and the reasons they choose particular media to realize their artistic visions. From drawing and painting to architecture, graphic design, and photography, the chapters interweave compelling lessons on elements and principles of art, art history, and criticism with opportunities for studio production.

Exploring Visual Design (4th edition)
Author: Joseph Gatto, Albert Porter, Jack Selleck
Publisher: Davis
Price: $100
A dynamic introduction to the building blocks of Art. Each chapter focuses on a different Element or Principle of Design, including: line, shape and form, balance, and movement and rhythm. Through an in-depth look into these design concepts, students learn how diverse cultures and times have used a common visual language to express their own unique perspective.

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Introducing Art (2nd edition)
Author: Gene Mittler, Rosalind Ragans, Jean Morman Unsworth, Faye Scannell
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Price: $184
Introducing Art invites students to see the ways in which artists from many cultures and eras have interpreted such subjects as nature, animals, people, places, objects, events, stories, celebrations, and fantasy. They'll learn about the elements and principles of art, as well as the media and techniques used to create art.

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Understanding Art (2nd edition)
Author: Gene Mittler, Rosalind Ragans, Jean Morman Unsworth, Faye Scannell
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Price: $182
Understanding Art takes a chronological/historical approach to art, focusing on art works from ancient to contemporary times. Students will understand how historical, political, geographical, social, and religious events shape each culture's art and makes it unique. The text blends art history with cultural and social traditions, emphasizing the role of art in everyday life. The images and content present art as historical evidence of the creative process. The traditions of Western Europe are examined along with those of China, Japan, India, Native America, and Africa.

The Visual Experience - Teacher's Edition (3rd edition)
Author: Jack Hobbs, Richard Salome, Ken Vieth
Publisher: Davis
Price: $100
A complete Visual Art curriculum that integrates Art History, Aesthetics, Criticism, and Art Production. The Teacher’s Edition does your preparation for you...


...Also, if your program is well funded, a nice series for Lower and Middle school Art (Student Books & Teacher Editions) is Pearson's Art.

Art: Teacher's Edition (G1-G8)
Author: Scott Foresman
Publisher: Pearson
Price: $80 (per grade-book)
Scott Foresman Art integrates classroom instruction, hands-on activities, and literacy-building experiences to turn on the power of art for all students. This sequential curriculum focuses on the Elements of Art and Principles of Design while introducing students to art history, visual culture, and careers in art.


* Note: Prices are only indicative. Most of the books listed above can be found used or new on Amazon or other book-selling websites at lower prices...

Useful Reference & History Books for Art Teachers

A selection of great reference books for any Art educator. At least some of these books should be part of every Art room or school library...

* Note: All links direct to Amazon

101 Things to Learn in Art School 
Kit White, MIT Press, 2011
 
Art History (4th ed / combined vol.)
Marilyn Skokstad, Harry N. Abrams, 2010

Art Speak: A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements & Buzzwords
Robert Atkins, Abbeville Press, 1997

Art: A History of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
(4th ed / 2 vols)
Frederick Hartt, Harry N. Abrams, Prentice Hall, 1993

Art (Eyewitness Companions)
Robert Cumming, Dorling Kindersley, 2006

A World of Art (8th ed)
Henri M. Sayre, Pearson, 2015

Children and Their Art: Art Education for Elementary and Middle Schools (9th ed)
Michael Day, Cengage Learning, 2011

Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters
MaryAnn F. Kohl, Bright Ring Publishing, 1997

Gardner's Art Through The Ages (15th ed)
Fred S. Kleiner, Cengage Learning, 2015

Harper Collins Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques (2nd ed)
Ralph Mayer, HarperCollins, 1992

History of Art (6th ed)
H.W. Janson, Anthony F. Janson, Harry N. Abrams, 2001

Modern Art (3rd ed)
Sam Hunter, John Jacobus, Daniel Wheeler, Pearson, 2004

Philosophy of Art: A Contemporary Introduction
Noel Carroll, Routledge, 1998

Philosophy of the Arts: An Introduction to Aesthetics
Gordon, Graham, Routledge, 1997

Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education
Lois Hetland, Ellen Winner, Shirley Veenema, Kimberly Sheridan, Teachers College Press, 2007

Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Art Terms (2nd ed)
Edward Lucie-Smith, Thames and Hudson, 2004

The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern (2nd ed)
Carol Strickland, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2007

The 20th Century Art Book
Phaidon Press, 1999

The Art Book (new ed)
Phaidon Press, 2012

The Art Teacher’s Book of Lists (2nd ed)
Helen D. Hume, John Wiley & Sons, 2010

The Artist’s Handbook (3rd ed)
Ray Campbell Smith, DK Adult, 2009

The Artists’ Handbook of Materials and Techniques (5th ed)
Ralph Mayer, Viking Adult, 1991

The Grove Dictionary of Art (34 vol)
Jane Turner, Macmillan Ltd. Groves Dictionaries, 1996

The New Artist's Manual: The Complete Guide to Painting and Drawing Materials and Techniques
Simon Jennings, Chronicle Books, 2005

The Oxford Dictionary of Art (3rd ed)
Ian Chilvers, Oxford University Press, 2004

The Penguin Dictionary of Art & Artists (7th ed)
Peter Murray, Linda Murray, Penguin Books, 1998

The Story of Art (16th ed)
E.H. Gombrich, Phaidon Press, 1995

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Scott McCloud, HarperCollins, 1994

Ways of Seeing (reprint ed)
John Berger, Penguin Books, 1990

Why We Make Art: And Why It is Taught (2nd ed)
Richard Hickman, Intellect Ltd., 2010

Useful Websites for Art Teachers

Here is a list of useful websites and blogs that I have come across the past year. These websites offer hundreds of great ideas, lesson plans, art curricula, resources, handouts, and many more that will assist you plan your Art classes:

(arranged alphabetically)

ArtsEdge

Curricula, lesson plans and activities for Visual Arts with ideas for integrating art into other subjects (K-12). Each lesson is clearly marked to identify appropriate grade level and the lessons are aligned with the National Art Standards.

Artsonia

"The world's largest kids' Art museum!" Online student's art museum including many teacher-submitted lesson plans, and an endless supply of new ideas with lesson photo galleries.

Awesome Artists

Website with some very good Art worksheets!

Crayola

Crayola's lesson plan website enables K-12 teachers to search via medium, grade level, or by Crayola-brand product.

Dick Blick

Many high-quality art lesson ideas. DickBlick is an excellent lesson plan website for Middle and High school art teachers. With categories even broken down to topics like "Graphic & Digital Art", "Maskmaking" and "Metal & Wire Art", teachers are sure to find lesson ideas in any subject.

Incredible Art Department *

One of the best and longest-running websites for art teachers out there! It includes hundreds of free original Art lesson plans and loads of material including Art news, resources, and a section on Art careers. Lessons are conveniently categorized by Grade, Medium, Subject, Period, and Artist...

Kinder Art

Free Art lesson plans and activities for art teachers (especially Elementary) who are looking for simple lesson plans in a hurry.

National Gallery of Art: Lessons & Activities

Organized into thematic units, each grade-level-specific lesson plan focuses on a single work of art and can be executed within one to two class periods.

Paul Carney Arts

Many free Art lessons, techniques, ideas and other art resources for use in the classroom. There are also some low-cost, paid-for resources on assessment, drawing and an Art Teacher's handbook.

School Specialty: Arts Education Project & Lesson Plan Ideas

An assemblage of Art lesson plan ideas and downloadables to help inspire and invigorate your art teaching - all developed by experienced art educators. Many of the plans include objectives and references to the National Art Education Standards. Some are Cross-Curricular or Multicultural.

Smithsonian Education 

This is the central education website of the Smithsonian Institute. There are teaching materials, links to hundreds of online resources, information, and more...

The Art of Ed

A great website that offers daily articles, videos, online classes, lesson plans for Elementary, e-books, an online magazine, and many more. The Art of Ed posts daily, giving real-world advice on topics every art teacher deals with.

TeacherVision: Art

Part of the TeacherVision website. You'll find a number of art lesson plans, printables, activities, quizzes, and references, as well as integrated art lessons for elementary, middle, and high school level. (Note: Subscription required but there's a 7-day free trial).

Teaching Ideas: Art

Part of the UK Teaching Ideas website. Activities and class handouts related to 2D and 3D Art for Lower and Middle School students, as well as useful links to other websites.

The Art Curator For Kids 

A website focusing on how to look and talk about art run by a former museum educator and art teacher.

The Virtual Instructor

Art Lesson plans for Middle and High School, and many tutorials on Drawing, Painting and Digital Art (Photoshop and Illustrator)..

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the Art Education Hub!


This blog is for You - the Art Teacher who is searching for lesson ideas and useful links. If you are new to the world of art education or just looking for inspiration, look no further. THIS is your hub to Art Education!