Artopia is a comprehensive web-based arts experience designed for middle school students, covering the visual and performing arts. Students will learn art history via animated one-minute movies, be guided on how to closely examine important works of art, and view videos of professional artists at work.This project was supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Please note many of the web videos include transcripts.
Video
A Closer Look In this video clip The South Carolina Philharmonic is playing the last few minutes of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. This piece of music was written to celebrate a Russian victory over the...
Video
A Closer Look Danielle Howle has been called "a southern storyteller with a gorgeous sense of melody." She tells stories through her songs. Like poetry, songs often leave out more than they put in...
Photo
Hua Yan A Closer Look Hua Yan uses lines to create the shapes of the man, horse and trees in this painting. He then uses more lines to show details within these figures. Line is the most basic element...
Video
William Shakespeare A Closer Look In this scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream Oberon, the King of the Fairies, has tricked the queen, Titania, into falling in love with Nick Bottom. Meanwhile, Puck...
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Martha Brim describes her own past with dance and the decision to pursue it as a career.
Video
Working outside in involves finding some external inspiration and internalizing that into an artistic performance.
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Tonya Gregg explains how her painting process and exploring textures has evolved over the years.
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Winston Wingo explains how West African processes have influenced his work with sculptures.
Photo
Illustration by Maria Manhattan Alice Neel was born on January 28, 1900 in Merion Square, Pennsylvania and spent her childhood in the small town of Colwyn, PA. In 1921, she enrolled in the...
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Illustration by Maria Manhattan Alison Saar was born in 1956 in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, the well-known artist Betye Saar, has European, Native American, and African American ancestors...
