Explore themes of feminism, poverty, consumerism, war, and gentrification, among other topics, through the work of contemporary artist Martha Rosler. Exhibition visits for high school students may be paired with stops in Scenes from the Collection, the Museum’s recently-opened collection exhibition.

Examine art created by Marc Chagall, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and others in the small town of Vitebsk following the Russian Revolution of 1917. Compare representational works of village life by Chagall with the geometric abstractions of Lissitzky and Malevich and delve into a little-known but influential chapter in the history of modern art.

From the six-pointed star to eagles and lions, symbolic imagery can convey personal, cultural, and historic meaning.  Students decode and discuss these powerful symbols as they appear in art, including paintings and ritual objects.
 

In this studio-based workshop, students examine parchments, reed pens, and the natural resources used to produce medieval books. Students view original manuscripts in the galleries, grind natural pigments such as saffron or malachite using a mortar and pestle, and illuminate their own works of art with gold leaf.

Compare disparate works in various media through the lens of artistic process. Tours may explore ancient to contemporary art, combining stops in both the collection and current exhibitions.

Students view art made from various types of materials— from lightbulbs to cookie tins—and consider the choices artists make. In the studio, students experiment with everyday materials to create their own works of art.

Why do people move from one country to another, and what do they bring with them or leave behind? Through examination and discussion of works of art and artifacts, students consider the personal and communal experience of immigration. 

Students discuss, interpret, and establish connections between the events of World War II and works of art and artifacts related to the Holocaust.

Elementary school students reading Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars focus on issues of resistance and hope through an exploration of age-appropriate works on view.

Explore the role of light in the Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa holidays and view the Museum’s spectacular collection of Hanukkah lamps. Groups may request to focus solely on Hanukkah.

Examine ritual objects and related paintings, exploring how artists merge artistic style with function. Students learn about Jewish culture and ceremonies through an examination of traditional objects. 

Students compare and contrast works of art in different media that depict people and consider how artists use the gestures, facial expressions, and body language of their subjects to communicate ideas and emotions. Discussion will also focus on how artistic choices impact the viewer’s experience.

Students consider personal, collective, and cultural identity through an examination of paintings, sculptures, or photographs. Tours may address issues of assimilation, stereotypes and discrimination, and heritage.

Students study original works of art as informational texts and reference artists’ statements, photographs, newspaper articles, and historical documents. 

Elementary school students examine original art and artifacts in the Jewish Museum’s collection as primary sources, and learn more about their historical and artistic contexts and the stories they reveal.

By analyzing works of art, students gain insight into how art can inspire creative writing and how writing can be a powerful means of engaging with the visual world. Tours may focus on poetry, narrative, and language development.

The past comes alive through a close examination of original artifacts from ancient communities. Students consider pottery, mosaics, and glassware as evidence of societal change and daily life in ancient times.

Students make connections between past and present, discover artifacts from ancient cultures, and learn about excavations in the Museum’s hands-on, simulated archaeological dig.