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Home>Learn>Teachers>Teacher Workshops

# Teacher Workshops

Workshops are designed to help teachers find meaning and enjoyment in the visual arts that they can share with their students. These programs introduce art in the Gallery’s collection and in special exhibitions, explore interdisciplinary curriculum connections, and model methods for teaching with art. All programs include teaching resource materials for educators to take home.

Teachers of all subjects and grade levels (pre-kindergarten through grade 12), homeschoolers, and pre-service educators are welcome. For more information, please email us at [email protected].

Upcoming Programs

**Please note: **The format of these programs is an online Zoom meeting. This means that your image and voice may be recorded if you choose to turn on your camera and/or microphone. By registering, you give consent for the National Gallery of Art to use that recording in any media, including on the Gallery’s website and social media accounts, as well as in a noncommercial educational online course that will be made available to the general public on a third-party platform.

**There are no programs currently scheduled.**

## Past Programs

Missouri Pettway, *Path through the Woods*, 1971, polyester knit, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Patrons’ Permanent Fund and Gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation, 2020.28.16

On-Site Workshop for Local Educators*Called to Create*: Connecting Art and Writing, with Poet Gayle Danley​Wednesday, February 8, 2023 4:00–7:15 p.m.Register here

Description:

Join fellow educators for a special evening program to explore the *Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South* exhibition. Learn to use poetry to incorporate these powerful works of art into your classroom.

This workshop will begin with refreshments in the Education Studio on the Concourse, followed by a slide overview of *Called to Create* by senior educator Nathalie Ryan. We will then proceed to the exhibition space in the East Building, where we will engage in slow looking at the artworks, hear a poetry performance by teaching artist and award-winning slam poet Gayle Danley, and participate with her in a poetry-writing exercise you can use in your classroom. We’ll also send you home with educational resources you can share with your students.

This program is open to all local educators. It is free of charge but requires advance registration. Please plan to arrive before 5:00 p.m., when the museum closes to the public, as late entry cannot be accommodated. 

Mary Lee Bendolph, *Blocks and Strips*, 2002, wool, cotton, and corduroy, Patrons' Permanent Fund and Gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation, 2020.28.1

Virtual workshop for local educators​Integrating *Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South* into Classroom PracticeThursday, January 26, 2023 4:00–5:30 p.m.Register here

Description:

Join National Gallery of Art museum educators and classroom teacher Sean Felix, along with an online community of education professionals across the United States and global participants Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) *Teaching Critical Thinking through Art* —for a live, virtual teacher workshop and MOOC Meetup session that explores the possibilities of integrating artworks from the National Gallery’s collection into classroom practice.

This winter 2023 virtual teacher workshop will offer an overview of *Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South*, a special exhibition featuring 40 sculptures, assemblages, paintings, reliefs, quilts, and drawings from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation. Despite racism and other forms of discrimination, all of the artists featured in the exhibition drew on deep cultural and spiritual traditions to create some of the finest art of our time.

In this workshop, a local educator from Washington, DC, Sean Felix, will share his experiences applying works of art from the *Called to Create* exhibition in his middle school social studies classroom. Sean will demonstrate how he used a thinking routine from Harvard’s Project Zero to foster a deeper exploration of one work in the exhibition and connect to his curriculum. Through Sean’s documentation of student thinking about the work of art, participants will see how the students’ learning process evolved. Together, participants will discuss their observations of Sean’s teaching and how they might apply works from the exhibition into their own teaching practice. Digital resources for classroom application will be provided.

Questions about the program? Email Jessica Metzger at [email protected].

Judith Leyster, *Self-Portrait*, c. 1630, oil on canvas, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, 1949.6.1

Virtual workshop for local educatorsExploring the Complexity of Characters through Art and Creative Writing​Thursday, November 10, 2022 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Description:

Join National Gallery of Art museum educators and award-winning playwright Mary Hall Surface—along with an online community of education professionals across the United States and global participants from the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) *Teaching Critical Thinking through Art* —for a live, virtual teacher workshop and MOOC Meetup session, taking a deep dive into strategies for connecting works of art to classroom practice.

In this fall 2022 virtual teacher workshop, Mary Hall Surface will invite participants into a process that demonstrates how close looking at *Self-Portrait* by 17th century Dutch artist Judith Leyster can invite students to uncover complexity in historical characters and in themselves. Through a series of short creative writing prompts, including imagined monologues, participants will explore how characters might define themselves and how the world might perceive them. Each step of this interactive process will foster rich observation, curiosity, and expansive perspective-taking and will lead to considering self-identity. Participants will learn how this process can be adapted across the curriculum for characters in literature, media, and contemporary events. Digital resources for classroom application will be provided.

Romare Bearden, *Tomorrow I May Be Far Away*, 1967, collage of various papers with charcoal, graphite and paint on paper mounted to canvas, Paul Mellon Fund, 2001.72.1

On-site workshop for local educatorsConnecting to Afro-Atlantic HistoriesApril 28, 2022 4:00–7:00 p.m.

**Description:**

Join fellow educators for a special evening program to explore the *Afro-Atlantic Histories* exhibition. In the exhibition space—surrounded by powerful works of art—you’ll discuss, brainstorm, and exchange ideas with colleagues from across disciplines. You’ll also learn techniques for using art as a platform to address difficult topics with your students.

We’ll send you home with a resource packet that includes art reproductions, a poster, conversation starters, and additional information about the exhibition. Refreshments will be served.

This program is open to all DC-area educators. It is free of charge, but we do require advance registration.

Jacob Lawrence, Lou Stovall, Amistad Research Center, *Toussaint at Ennery*, 1989, color screenprint on wove paper, Gift of Alexander M. and Judith W. Laughlin, 1993.30.2

MOOC Meetup: Live via ZoomConnecting to Afro-Atlantic Histories: Pictures of Practice from Local DC EducatorsThursday, April 7, 2022 4:00–5:30 p.m. ET

Description:

Join National Gallery of Art museum educators—along with an online community of education professionals across the United States and global participants from the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Teaching Critical Thinking through Art—for a live, virtual teacher workshop and MOOC Meetup session for a deep dive into strategies for connecting works of art to classroom practice.

This spring 2022 virtual teacher workshop, the third of a series of three, will offer an overview of our upcoming special exhibition *Afro-Atlantic Histories*, which explores the vast range of historical experiences and artistic expressions of Black and African people since the 17th century.

In this workshop, local educators from Washington, DC, will share their experiences applying works of art from the exhibition in their teaching contexts. Participants will then use a thinking routine from Harvard’s Project Zero to foster a deeper exploration of one work in the exhibition and will discuss ways to apply the documentation that the local teachers present. Registrants will receive access to digital teaching resources related to the exhibition. While all educators are welcome, this workshop will be especially relevant to those who teach K–12 and social studies curricula.

Aaron Douglas, *Into Bondage*, 1936, oil on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase and partial gift from Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr., The Evans-Tibbs Collection), 2014.79.17

MOOC Meetup: Live via ZoomConnecting to Afro-Atlantic Histories: An Overview for the ClassroomThursday, March 10, 2022 4:00–5:30 p.m. ET

Description:

Join National Gallery of Art museum educators—along with an online community of education professionals across the United States and global participants from the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Teaching Critical Thinking through Art—for a live, virtual teacher workshop and MOOC Meetup session for a deep dive into strategies connecting works of art to classroom practice.

This spring 2022 virtual teacher workshop, the first of a series of three, will offer an overview of our upcoming special exhibition *Afro-Atlantic Histories*, which explores the vast range of historical experiences and artistic expressions of Black and African people since the 17th century.

In this workshop, a lecturer will share an overview of the exhibition, describing the six main themes and highlighting key works of art that can be shown digitally in classrooms. Participants will then use a thinking routine from Harvard’s Project Zero to foster a deeper discussion of one work and consider how the exhibition can be applied across teaching contexts. Registrants will receive access to digital teaching resources related to the exhibition. While all educators are welcome, this workshop will be especially relevant to those who teach middle school, high school, and social studies curricula.

Kerry James Marshall, *Voyager*, 1992, acrylic and collage on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Gift of the Women’s Committee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art), 2014.79.52

MOOC Meetup: Live via ZoomConnecting to Afro-Atlantic Histories: Culturally Responsive Teaching with ArtThursday, March 24, 2022 4:00–5:30 p.m. ET

Description:

Join National Gallery of Art museum educators—along with an online community of education professionals across the United States and global participants from the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Teaching Critical Thinking through Art—for a live, virtual teacher workshop and MOOC Meetup session for a deep dive into strategies for connecting works of art to classroom practice.

This spring 2022 virtual teacher workshop, the second of a series of three, will offer an overview of our upcoming special exhibition *Afro-Atlantic Histories*, which explores the vast range of historical experiences and artistic expressions of Black and African people since the 17th century.

In this workshop, Maria Akinyele, a professional development leader in culturally responsive teaching and Black history, will present how to teach the themes of the exhibition with sensitivity and awareness. Participants will then use a thinking routine from the Arts as Civic Commons project at Harvard’s Project Zero to foster a deeper discussion of one work in the exhibition and consider how art can support culturally responsive teaching. Registrants will receive access to digital teaching resources related to the exhibition. While all educators are welcome, this workshop will be especially relevant to those who teach middle school, high school, and social studies curricula.

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