Who doesn't want to be Art Smart?
ArtSmart: Indiana, written by Susan O. Chavers in 1985 and copyrighted by the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, is a visual means of learning about art appreciation and the culture and history of Indiana, 1800 to present day. One purpose of this educational enrichment program is to help promote a sense of pride in the significant role that the arts and artists have had in the growth of the State of Indiana. From pioneer painters to Robert Indiana's "Love", Indiana has a proud past.
While Artsmart was developed originally to complement the teaching of Indiana studies in the fourth grade, it can be used at any grade level in the schools with various subject areas. In addition, it has been successfully presented by docents of the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette in other settings. Day care centers, libraries, service organizations, senior centers, nursing homes, mental health facilities, museums, historical associations, clubs, teacher organizations, and cultural center have participated in Artsmart programs throughout the state of Indiana.
Currently, ArtSmart: Indiana is being developed for the digital world as part of a $54,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences in Washngton, D.C. As part of this project, The ArtSmart: Indiana website has been designed to provide instant access to the history of Indiana artists and art. This online learning environment was developed by Professor Scott Schaffer, Purdue University and his graduate students - to encourage teachers to use ArtSmart content within visual learning activities, and to provide students with opportunities to explore and interact with the artwork. Although seventy-two images and text from the original Art Smart: Indiana have been retained, Dr. Laurette McCarthy has updated the program by researching, selecting and authoring the text for twenty-four new image additions. Collaborators on the project include the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, Purdue University, and local K-12 schools. The project is scheduled for statewide release in summer 2009.
How to use this website >>
Teachers can use the materials in a number of ways.
- The links to lesson plans provide several ways to introduce the images and text of ArtSmart to students. The plans are specifically tied to state standards.
- The student section of the site has two main elements. The first is image searching and subsequent background information about each of the artists and artworks. The second feature is the inclusion of instructional games and activities designed to help students engage with the art from the perspective of language arts, fine arts, and social studies.