"Life In America" 
How did children dress two hundred years ago? What kinds of games did they play? What did Native Americans wear, and what were their recreational activities? Imagine traveling with your family in a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail, or confronting bears in the wilderness. What was it like farming in Kansas, herding cattle on horseback, or being the first explorer to discover the Grand Canyon? Students examine a variety of paintings and sculptures to discover artists' impressions of America - the land, the Native Americans and the settlers and the everyday activities in which they engaged.  Designed for grades K - 5.

"Meet The People" 
Students meet the most fascinating people at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. They are introduced to American individuals, families, and groups engaged in a variety of activities from the colonial period to the present. Among these silent new friends are Native Americans hunting buffalo, pioneers struggling across the Great Plains in covered wagons, and a family going to church in a horse-drawn cart. There are children ice-skating in the park, and others playing ball outside city tenements. There are women peeling vegetables, families harvesting pumpkins, men mastering machines and building bridges-and even a man on fire!  Designed for grades K - 12.

"Native Americans"
Between 1830 and 1836, during a series of journeys into unmapped territory, the artist-explorer George Catlin painted hundreds of portraits and scenes illustrating the everyday lives of the Plains Indians. Students see examples of Catlin's work depicting various activities of Native Americans, such as hunting buffalo, playing games, and participating in ceremonies. Works by nineteenth-century sculptors include The Dying Tecumseh, Hiawatha, and Old Arrow Maker. Along with early-twentieth-century images of Native Americans in the Southwest are more contemporary interpretations. During the tour students discuss how Native Americans were affected by the influx of settlers on their land, the decimation of the buffalo that provided their clothing, shelter, and fuel, and, finally, their defeat by the U.S. Cavalry.  Designed for grades K - 12.

"Latino Art"
This tour highlights the artistic achievements of Hispanic Americans from the 1860s to the present. The works of art represent the diversity of Hispanic America and also reflect the significant historical developments that have transformed American art in this century. Included are santos (carved and painted representations of saints) from Puerto Rico, Luis Alfonso Jiménez's twentieth-century sophisticated, fiberglass sculpture, Man on Fire, and Felipe Archuleta's folk art work, Sheep, made of wood, wool, and Styrofoam.  Designed for grades K - 12.

"The Modern Era" 
The beginning of the twentieth century brought upheavals in America that resulted in social, political, and economic reforms. In art, too, the traditions of the past were challenged from every conceivable point of view. European modernism was introduced; artists, affected by the Depression of the 1930s, painted themes of social protest; and muralists participating in the Federal Art Project explored American themes and became patrons of a truly American style called realism. After World War II, abstract expressionism, pop art, op art, and other avant-garde styles emerged. While exploring the wide range of themes, styles, and media to be found in contemporary art, students relate the visual images to current events, mass media, music, and technology.  Designed for grades 4 - 12.

"Westward Migration"
"Go West, young man" was the advice to easterners in the mid-nineteenth century. Even today the American West remains a central preoccupation of our culture. Through their own imaginative dramatizations of artists' depictions of the people, lifestyles, and landscapes of the West, students learn to relate to and understand the prevailing values and attitudes of this period in American history. Included on the tour are scenes of Native Americans engaged in everyday activities; pioneers in wagon trains determined to settle on the western plains; the cowboy, America's mythic hero; genre scenes of life in a mining camp; and panoramic views of the Grand Canyon and the awe-inspiring mountains of California.  Designed for grades 4 - 12.

"Free Within Ourselves" 
The works of African American artists whose contributions have had a significant impact on American art history are highlighted in this tour. Representing a variety of styles, materials, and techniques, these works range from the nineteenth century sculpture of Edmonia Lewis to the imaginative works of folk artists Sister Gertrude Morgan and James Hampton. In the twentieth century African American artists such as Sam Gilliam and Alma Thomas continued to participate in mainstream traditions while translating their diverse concerns into the realm of abstract art. The lives of the artists and the creative spirit that motivated each of them are discussed, providing insight into the historical, social, and cultural context of their work.  Designed for grades 6 - 12.

"Art and Literature" 
Throughout the ages artists have been inspired by themes from literature - the Bible, Shakespeare's plays, operas, myths, poetry, and folklore, translating them into the visual and symbolic language of art. Students compare literary texts with their visual counterparts. Subjects include Jonah and the whale; the classical love story of Helen of Troy and Paris, from Homer's Iliad; Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth; Washington Irving's tales; and George Washington crossing the Delaware. Among the sculptures by Paul Manship are many examples of works inspired by Aesop's Fables. William Wetmore Story's sculpture The Libyan Sibyl was inspired by an essay by Harriet Beecher Stowe describing the adventures of the escaped slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth.  Designed for grades 6 - 12.

"America As Art" 
Through the perceptive eyes of artists, students trace more than three centuries of America's cultural heritage. By looking at images from different eras, comparing and contrasting artists' interpretations, students acquire insights into the past that provide a better understanding of the present. Discussion focuses on the early settlers and their views of God, nature, man, and the Puritan work ethic. As the new nation grew, what were the religious and moral implications of America's wilderness, the social significance of Manifest Destiny and the migration west? In the aftermath of the Civil War, landscapes were forever changed by the movement of people from farming communities to cities. As a consequence, the twentieth century brought with it great societal changes and technological innovations that, in turn, had a profound effect on America's art.  Designed for grades 6 - 12.