Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise

Guided Tour + Art Workshop

February 14–April 29, 2012
Tuesday–Friday, start times vary between 10–11:40 am

Grades 3–12:

• Option 1: 1-hour program (tour only)
• Option 2: 2-hour program (1-hour tour + 1-hour art studio workshop) SOLD OUT

Tour: Discover the complex relationship between the work of European artist Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) and the Polynesian art he encountered when he moved to the South Pacific Islands in 1891. Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise is an ideal exhibition for classrooms studying cultural exchange, global cultures and 19th century world history.

Art Workshop: "Don't copy nature too literally," Gauguin advised, "Art is abstraction; draw art as you dream in nature's presence, and think more about the act of creation than about the final result." Using symbols, magazines, newspapers, paper, Polynesian designs and a plethora of colors, students will create a collage homage that captures a likeness of someone they know.

Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise

Do-It-Yourself

February 14–April 25, 2012
Tuesday–Sunday, start times vary between noon–3:40 pm
Grades 3–12

Explore the rich exhibition Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise at your own pace. Do-It-Yourself tours allow educators to customize their museum experiences by leading their own activities through the galleries without a docent. Contact the school tour coordinator for a free educator pass to visit the galleries in advance of your class's visit.

Related Resources

• Aboriginal/Oceanic Suitcase
• SAM’s Oceanic and Aboriginal art collection online
• Gauguin & Polynesia Educator Resource List

Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection

Tour Only

June 6–August 30, 2012
Wednesdays or Thursdays, start times vary between 10 am–2 pm
Grades K–12
$100 standard/$50 reduced

Engage with the exuberant visual language of Australia. Learn how Australian Aboriginal people are using painting to revive and sustain the world's oldest living culture. This one-hour tour of the exhibition Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection will introduce students to a wide range of artists and artistic traditions as part of Australia's dynamic Aboriginal art movement.

Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection

Do-It-Yourself

May 31–September 02, 2012
Wednesdays–Sundays, start times vary (see registration form for details)
Grades K–12
$40 standard/$20 reduced

Explore the dynamic summer exhibition Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection at your own pace. Do-It-Yourself tours allow educators to customize their museum experiences by leading their own activities through the galleries without a docent. Contact the school tour coordinator for a free educator pass to visit the galleries in advance of your class's visit.