FILM, VIDEO, DVD: ALPHABETICAL LISTINGS

Film, Video, DVD: A

Aboriginal Art—Past, Present, and Future            WA-660 NEW!
13 min/1997/ DVD High school through college This video explores the art of the Aboriginal people of Australia from prehistoric cave art to the contemporary artists who employ the techniques and themes of their ancestors. Religious and mythological symbols are explained as is the newer themes of dispossession, racism, and recovery of cultural identity.

Accademia Museum of Venice          WA-470
58 min / color / 1993 / AA / VHS
High school through adult
Venice’s leading museum, the Accademia, is a treasure-house of Venetian art spanning 6 centuries. This program tells how the Accademia came into being and shows the great works in its collection. The camera also travels throughout Venice, showing other masterpieces still in their original locations. Viewers see the work of Titian, Veronese, Giorgione, the Bellinis, Veneziano, Tiepolo, and Canaletto to gain an understanding of the true meaning of the Venetian School.

Adventures in Perception          WA-95
21 min / color / 1973 / BFA /VHS
Middle school through adult
Focusing on paintings, prints, and drawings by artist M.C. Escher, this film explores the Dutch artist’s unusual use of multiple perspective, distortion, and complex patterning. “Are you sure that a floor cannot be a ceiling? Are you absolutely certain that you go up when you walk up a staircase?” (M.C. Escher, 1971). This is a film about creativity, playfulness, and the endless possibilities of the imagination.

Adventure of Photography            WA-616
260 min / 1998 / VHS, DVD
College through adult
This series is not only a history of an amazing art form, photography, but also the adventure of 1½ centuries of world history. Among many photographers featured are Ansel Adams, Avedon, Brassai, Capa, Cartier-Bresson, Lewis Carroll, Daguerre, Doisneau, Ernst, Roger Fenton, Muybridge, Helmut Newton, Niepce, Man Ray, Irving Penn, Steichen, Stieglitz, and Warhol.

Africa
57 min each / color / 1984 / FI / VHS
Middle school through adult
In this series of 8 documentaries, the story of Africa, told by noted British author Basil Davidson, unfolds as different locations in this fascinating continent are visited. Archival footage, dramatic reenactments and scenes of present-day life make this the definitive series on Africa, from its early civilizations, through colonial rule, to its rise to independence after World War II.

Volume 1           AFRICA-1
1. Different But Equal
For centuries, Africa was ravished by the slave trade. This has permanently distorted our view of the continent and its people. Basil Davidson shows that, far from having no great art or technology, Africa gave rise to some of the world’s greatest early civilizations.

2. Mastering a Continent
Looking closely at 3 different communities, Basil Davidson examines the way African peoples carve out an existence in an often hostile environment.

Volume 2           AFRICA-2
3. Caravans of Gold
Basil Davidson traces the routes of the medieval gold trade, which reached from Africa to India and China in the east and westward to the city states of Italy. African rulers grew rich and powerful-the King of Ghana was described by an Arab traveler in A.D. 951 as the wealthiest of all kings on earth. It was the coming of the Portuguese in 1498 that heralded the end of the great African trade system.

4. Kings and Cities
To explore the ways in which the African kingdoms functioned, Davidson visits Kano in Nigeria, where a king still holds court in his 15th-century palace, presiding with his council over ancient rituals that continue to command the respect of the people.

Volume 3           AFRICA-3
5. The Bible and the Gun
The slave trade in Africa decimated the population and tore apart the fabric of society. After the slave traders came new kinds of interlopers: first, the explorers, and then the missionaries. Next came those interested not in souls but in wealth-gold and diamonds-men like Cecil Rhodes, who envisioned an empire stretching from “Cape to Cairo.”

6. This Magnificent African Cake
The 1880s saw the beginning of a 30-year “scramble for Africa” by European countries, which dramatically changed the face of the continent. All of Africa, except for Liberia and Ethiopia, became subject to colonial rule, a condition unchanged until the outbreak of World War II.

Volume 4           AFRICA-4
7. The Rise of Nationalism
The major struggles for African independence are presented in this program. Davidson looks closely at the situation in Guinea and talks to the military leader in Mozambique. He also focuses on the final collapse of the white minority in Zimbabwe and then turns to South Africa to question how long this final bastion of white rule can survive.

8. The Legacy
Host Basil Davidson looks at Africa in the aftermath of colonial rule, as the continent seeks ways to come to terms with its diverse inheritance. Interviews with statesmen, including Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Shagari in Nigeria, and Sanghor in Senegal, illuminate the problems and successes of contemporary Africa.

African Art            ED-548
22 min / 2003 / VHS, DVD
Elementary through high school
An introductory overview of the visual arts of sub-Saharan Africa in the context of ritual and daily life from cave paintings to ceremonial masks. This program underscores the power of symbolism, simplification and abstraction from nature; the importance of skill and the perpetuation of stylistic traditions from remote times; and the blurring of distinctions between art and craft, aesthetics and utility.

African Art, Women, History: The Luba People of Central Africa
28 min / 1998 / VHS
High school through adult
This documentary is about Luba Art from Central Africa and the relationship between women, art, and history. Welcome to the magical world of the Lukasa, a memory board, where kings are born only after their spirits have taken possession of the body of a woman. Then watch history come alive.

African Carving: A Dogon Kanaga Mask           AT-19
19 min / color / 1975 / PFI /VHS
Middle school through adult
The Kanaga mask is used in sacred rituals of the Dogon, a people who live in the Republic of Mali, West Africa. The very carving of the Kanaga mask is an important ritual. The carver must find a proper Tagoda tree from which to make the mask; prayers and offerings are presented so that the tree-spirit will allow the carver to use its sacred wood. This film, by noted photographer Eliot Elisofon, sensitively documents the mask-carving ritual and the use of the mask in a sacred ceremony.

An African Perspective: African Art
47 min / 1995 / VHS
College through adult
What may be regarded as a work of art in a museum could come from a culture that has no word for 'art' and in fact was created with a defined social role. This program looks for a way to understand and appreciate African art on its own terms, within the context of the cultures the works were created by and for. Location filming in Mali and interviews with art historians provide a thought-provoking analysis of the West's complex relationship with African art.

African Story Journey
Varied times; see below / color / 1991 / CF / VHS
Preschool through adult
The 2 videos in this series look at stories from the African tradition, as told by well-known American storyteller Diane Ferlatte. Both videos are appropriate for use in folklore studies, Pan-African studies, and cross-cultural studies and discussions.

1. Across Time and Place (20 min)          AJ-1
Master storyteller Diane Ferlatte tells 4 stories rich in the African tradition, collected in the Caribbean, American South, and Harlem in the 1930s. “Why the Sky Is Far Away” is a creation story from West Africa; “Br’er Goat and Br’er Lion,” a story of how a defenseless goat defeats a ferocious lion by using brains instead of brawn. “When People Could Fly,” an African-American tale, is an affirmation of the inner spirit and mystical hope for freedom. Langston Hughes’ story “Thank You Ma’m” completes the program.

2. The American South (22 min)         AJ-2
Ms. Ferlatte retells 3 stories from the oral history of the slave-owning South that speak of triumph over adversity and deep faith in a better time to come. “Br’er Tiger and the Big Wind” shows how Br’er Rabbit teaches Br’er Tiger a lesson on greed. What is really important in life is explored in “The Knee-High Man.” In “High John,” slaves travel to heaven to receive a song that brings laughter and lightness to their work.

African-American Art: Past and Present
40 min each / color / 1991 / RR / VHS
Middle school through adult
Threads of African-American heritage are woven throughout the cultural fabric of America, but few Americans are aware of either the pervasiveness or the importance of the African ingredients in our everyday lives. Particularly absent has been an appropriate recognition and understanding of the significant contributions made by African Americans to the visual arts. This video presents the first comprehensive survey of African-American art from the days of slavery to the 1990s. Five separate topics are covered in the 3 tapes that make up the series: African Art, The Decorative Arts, 18th-19th Century Fine Art Survey, 20th Century Fine Art Survey, and In the Artist’s Words.

1. Tape 1         AAA-1
This tape contains 3 topics: (1) African Art, which discusses the integration of art into the daily life of African tribes and the transport of various art forms to America through the slave trade; (2) Decorative Arts, which discusses the crafts of everyday living: basketry, pottery, quilting, ironwork and architecture; (3) 18th-19th Century Fine Art Survey, which discusses the works of Joshua Johnson, John James Audubon, Robert S. Duncanson, Edward M. Bannister, Mary Edmonia Lewis, and Henry O. Tanner.

2. Tape 2         AAA-2
This tape contains the first part of the 20th Century Fine Art Survey, covering artists who worked between 1900 and 1950, such as Aaron Douglas, William H. Johnson, Horace Pippin, Charles White, Jacob Lawrence, Selma Burke, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Faith Ringgold.

3. Tape 3         AAA-3
This tape contains the second part of the 20th Century Fine Art Survey, covering artists who worked between 1950 and the present, such as Sam Gilliam, Richard Hunt, Alison Saar, and Minnie Evans. The second part of this tape, In the Artist’s Words, lets contemporary artists speak for themselves. Included among others are: Leo Twiggs, Viola Burley Leak, Vernon Smith, Stephanie Pogue, Spencer Taylor, and Virginia native Dennis Winston.

Africa’s Enduring Arts: Now and Then         WA-458
16 min / color / 1993 / Lucerne / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This videotape is a lively introduction to the arts of Africa. Although Africa is best known for its tradition of mask-making, its artists also produce other sculptural forms. Textiles, metalworking, and crafts are created by the many cultures living on this vast continent. Viewers see contemporary artists mix traditional and modern forms to create a vibrant, new, hybrid style.

Against the Odds: The Artists of the Harlem Renaissance         WA-467
60 min / color / 1994 / PBS / VHS/DVD
Middle school through adult
This documentary by Amber Edwards tells the little-known story of a group of black visual artists fighting racial discrimination during the vibrant period of creativity in the 1920s and 1930s. Narrated by actor Joe Morton, the video combines more than 100 stunning, original works of art from the era. They include the sculpture Cousin-on-Friday by Leslie G. Bolling in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; rare footage of the artists and their world; first-person accounts by 3 surviving artists; and interviews with authors, art historians, and curators. The result is a brilliant mosaic of African-American art and history.

Agee         WA-431
55 min / color / 1980 / AGEE / VHS
Middle school through adult
Filmmaker Ross Spears has documented the life of James Agee, one of the most talented writers of our time. A quintessentially American writer, driven by passions for work, friends, films, and ideas, Agee established a reputation as both a lovable genius and as “a sovereign prince of the English language.” In his short luminous career, James Agee worked as poet, journalist, film critic, screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, and his story is told by those who knew him best, including John Huston and Walker Evans.

Albert Paley: Architectural Metal Sculptor         WA-230
29 min / color / 1986 / VM / 3/4"vc, VHS
High school through adult
This program records the creation of 2 massive exterior gates made for the West Wing of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by renowned metal sculptor Albert Paley. Paley discusses his designs for the gates, the process of incorporating them into their architectural settings, and the challenges in fabrication presented by their size and function.

Albert Paley: Five Major Works 1972-1985         WA-229
28 min / color / 1986 / VM / 3/4"vc
High school through adult
Metal sculptor Albert Paley discusses 5 major works that he executed between 1972 and 1985: gates to the Renwick Gallery, Washington, D.C.; the sculpture court fence for the Hunter Museum, Chattanooga, Tennessee; interior columns, railings, and a fountain for Clyde’s Restaurant, Tyson’s Corner, Virginia; an outdoor sculpture for the Strong Museum, Rochester, New York; and 2 major gates for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Paley talks about design challenges inherent in each project and how he was able to integrate his metal work into the surrounding architectural spaces.

Albrecht Durer: Image of a Master WA-610
21 min / 2004 / VHS, DVD
High school through adult
Albrecht Dürer, arguably the greatest artist of the northern Renaissance, was the primary conduit through whom Italian Renaissance forms and ideas were introduced into a Germany still dominated by the Gothic tradition. This timeless program examines the life and work of the peerless painter and printmaker, focusing on some of his most important pieces and influences.

Alchemy in Light: Making Art Glass            ED-551
29 min / 1995/ VHS
High school through adult
The ancient craft of glass blowing is examined from the perspective of three contemporary artists-Ann Corcoran, David Lindsay, and Michael Nouret. Supported by a compelling musical soundtrack, this colorful film reveals working techniques along with the artistic concepts that go into their individual labors at "Vulcan's Forge".

Alex Katz: Five Hours           WA-575
20 min / 1992 / LV / VHS
College through adult
For five hours while being videotaped, Alex Katz painted and the avant-garde music of Merideth Monk was added. What resulted was an artful record of his process of painting the six-by-fourteen foot January III triptych, an act of utmost concentration and performance.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day         ED-25
14 min / color / 1989 / AIMS / VHS
Preschool through adult
Seven-year-old Alexander knew the minute he woke up with gum in his hair that it was going to be a very bad day. He was right! He drops his shirt in the wash basin and doesn’t get a prize in his breakfast cereal. There are lima beans for dinner and kissing on television. His bath water is too hot and he loses his best marble down the bathtub drain. Some days are like that. Judith Viorst’s popular children’s book is brought to life in this delightful and humorous look at childhood woes.
Suggested Classroom Activities: Before showing students this videotape, have them read Judith Viorst’s book. Discuss the characters in the book and ask students to imagine how the characters might look and act in real life. After showing the video, discuss how it met or did not meet their expectations. Have the students write about and make drawings of their own terrible days.

Alexander Calder           WA-552
60 min / 1998 / PBS / VHS
Middle school through adult American Masters series provides a detailed look at Calder, who is without a doubt one of the 20th century’s most important artists. Having produced over 16,000 works in his life, including the famous mobiles, Calder’s whimsical and joyful exuberance is captured in this high quality production.

Alexander the Great           ED-474
27 min / 1997 / DSC / VHS
Middle school through adult
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) was a brilliant military genius, a statesman, and the founder of the city of Alexandria in Egypt. His triumphs over the Persian Empire remain one of history's greatest campaigns of conquest and exploration. The Greek culture and artistic styles he and his armies spread lingered throughout the region for thousands of years. Alexander died young and his empire soon splintered without his charismatic authority, but he had defined the concept of empire for future leaders such as Augustus and Napoleon. A Discovery Channel production.

El Alfabeto         ED-182
10 min / color / 1984 / FL / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This film is a charming and humorous introduction to the Spanish alphabet. In this animation, we see each letter, hear it pronounced, and see it illustrated by a whimsical animal-all to the tune of a Spanish guitar. While the film naturally is interesting to foreign language students, it can also be used in design classes.

Alfred Hitchcock         ED-412
56 min / color / 1972 / IM / VHS
High school through adult
Looking crisp and immediate as if shot yesterday, this video is comprised of two taped interviews with motion picture director, Alfred Hitchcock, known as the “Master of Suspense.” “Hitch,” revealing his characteristic dark wit, discusses his personal approach to the art and craft of motion picture making. Journalist Pia Lindstrom and revered film historian William Everson ask the questions using clips from his famous movies.

Alfred Stieglitz, Photographer         WA-178
26 min / color / 1982 / MAL, MOMA /VHS
High school through adult
Luminous images abound in this loving tribute to Alfred Stieglitz, who was not only a pioneering photographer, but also editor of Camera Work, patron of artists John Marin, Arthur Dove, and Georgia O’Keeffe, and one of the foremost figures in 20th-century American art. This film profile is narrated by friends and artists who knew Stieglitz well: Ansel Adams, Aaron Copland, Isamu Noguchi, and others. Red Ribbon, American Film Festival.

Alice Aycock         WA-270
11 min / color / 1983 / AFA / 3/4"vc
High school through adult
In the context of her major installation Celestial Amusement Park, American sculptor Alice Aycock discusses technique, choice of materials, use of scale, and the conceptual basis for her sculpture. “I always felt,” she says, “that if you could imagine something, there was a technology that could bring it into being; you are only limited by your mind.”

Alice Neel: Collector of Souls         WA-110
28 min / color / 1977 / CINE /VHS
High school through adult
Cringing at the term “portrait painter,” Alice Neel preferred to refer to herself as a “collector of souls.” Combining bold brushstrokes, vibrant colors and sharply contrasting highlights and shadows, Neel deftly captured the human psyche on canvas. The film uses a variety of techniques to reveal the character of the ebullient Neel.

All About Looking         WA-491
29 min / color / 1996 / UC / VHS
High school through adult
Join the renowned American artist, Jim Dine, as he conducts a three-week course in Salzberg, Germany, during the summer of 1995. During this time, Dine teaches a unique method of drawing to students from all over the world. He insists that the students use the same piece of paper for a week. At the beginning of each new drawing session, the students must erase the work done the previous day, giving the drawings a history of the week’s work. In this way, Dine also teaches them how to observe and how to really see what they are drawing.

Alphabet Soup         ED-351
30 min / color / 1995 / KV / VHS
Preschool through adult
Renowned artist William Wegman brings his dog Fay Ray and her offspring Batty, Chundo, and Crooky together on video to teach children the alphabet. Viewers of all ages will be intrigued as the dogs teach them the basic ABC’s. Watch as Fay Ray balances a boat on her head, Chundo prepares to eat a sandwich for his late night snack, and Batty and Crooky cook up fun and alphabet soup with everything from apples to zucchini.

An Alphabet of Insects         ED-241
12 min / color / 1986 / CORF / VHS
This interdisciplinary video uses a combination of animation and carefully selected live-action photography to reinforce reading skills and encourage observation and comparison. Suited for language arts studies, for science units, and as a stimulus for painting and drawing. Suggested Classroom Activity: After viewing the video, have students create their own alphabet of insects as a classroom project; students could draw or paint images or even create a collage from magazine cut-outs.

Altering Discourse: The Works of Helen and Newton Harrison          WA-353
13 min / color / 1989 / ARTSA / VHS
High school through adult
This production orchestrates narrative, text, music, and visuals to introduce and give insight to the work of California “conceptual environmental” artists Helen and Newton Harrison. The Harrisons, who consider themselves ecological artists, are primarily concerned with our relationship to the natural world and how their artistic vision can enhance the world of the future. Recommended for students of both studio art and environmental issues.

America: A Personal History
60 min each / color / 1973 / TIMEL / VHS
Middle school through adult
Alistair Cooke paints a unified picture of our nation as it evolved and as it stood at the mid-20th century. To tell America’s story, Cooke uses old photographs, visits historic sites, and shows sweeping panoramas of America’s urban and rural landscapes. The series offers a clear vision of the expansion of America as a nation and of the people who became Americans.

1. The New Found Land          AMER-1
This first film covers early Indian civilizations in the Americas and exploration of the continent by the Spanish and the French.

2. Home from Home          AMER-2
Cooke surveys the British colonial period, taking a close look at two important colonists: Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts and Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia.

3. Making a Revolution          AMER-3
Focusing on the events leading up to the war for independence, and then on the war itself, the film includes a lengthy sketch of President George Washington.

4. Inventing a Nation          AMER-4
This film probes the aims and aspirations of the founding fathers in charting the Constitution, and explains the development of the Bill of Rights.

5. Gone West           AMER-5
The routes of the early pioneers are retraced, from a cave in Kentucky to the California Gold Rush.

6. A Firebell in the Night           AMER-6
This film investigates the smoldering antagonisms that fanned the fires of the Civil War and the era of Reconstruction that followed it.

7. Domesticating a Wilderness           AMER-7
This film describes how the West was settled once it had been won.

8. Money on the Land          AMER-8
The era of the tycoons Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Vanderbilt is examined, along with its by-product in the Populist movement, led by William Jennings Bryan.

9. The Huddled Masses           AMER-9
This film concentrates on immigration to the United States at the end of the 19th century, and the effect that it had on future generations.

10. The Promise Fulfilled and the Promise Broken          AMER-10
The role of the United States during World War II is explored in this film. The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression are also examined.

11. The Arsenal           AMER-11
This film explores how the United States went from being an Anglo-French arsenal before World War II to the defense powerhouse it is today.

12. The First Impact          AMER-12
Cooke pays his own personal tribute to those things in American life that appeal to him the most. Included in the film are segments on New England foliage, New Orleans jazz, the charm and color of San Francisco, and, finally, Baltimore’s gift to American letters, H. L. Mencken.

13. The Old Order Changeth           AMER-13
In this film, Cooke takes a look at the United States at the beginning of the 1970s: what has endured over the centuries and what has changed in recent decades.

America and Lewis Hine          WA-211
56 min / color / 1984 / CG /VHS
Middle school through adult
This documentary portrays the life and times of America’s pioneer social photographer, Lewis Hine (1874-1940) who recorded the development of industrial America during the first 4 decades of the 20th century. Between 1902 and 1926, 14 million men, women, and children poured through Ellis Island. Lewis Hine was present at this great drama; his photographs capture the essence of the immigrants’ courage and aspirations as they faced the rigors of life in the New World. America and Lewis Hine is not only an important biographical documentary on one of our nation’s greatest photographers, it is also a compelling testament to the character and strength of the men, women, and children who built America. Red Ribbon, American Film Festival.

America by Design
60 min each / color / 1987 / PBSV / VHS
High school through adult
This 5-part series focuses on the lively story of the unique American heritage, tracing commonplace elements in our architecture and design. Hosted by Spiro Kostof, professor of architectural history at the University of California at Berkeley, this series explores how American design has affected political, social, economic, and technological institutions.

1. The House          AD-1
This program explores the shape, history and symbolism of the American home. Understanding the American home involves a study of its functions and social context. The contributions of landscape designers, kitchen designers and architects are noted as well as a brief discourse on the small, machine-made nail that helped create a revolution in the construction industry.

2. Public Places and Monuments          AD-2
Americans demonstrate their collective pride, history, and tragedy in monuments, churches, libraries, parks, civic centers and many other structures and spaces. Kostof notes the importance of America’s Civil War memorials, the Statue of Liberty, the St. Louis Memorial Arch, and Washington’s Vietnam War Memorial.

3. The Shape of the Land          AD-3
Americans have redesigned and molded land on a grand scale, cutting through mountains, altering the course of rivers, clearing away forests and draining marshes. How did we decide to mark the land in this way and what do these structures and patterns say about us? Kostof examines the pace of our dominion over nature, focusing on the engineering feats of our railroad engineers, waterway and hydroelectric designers.

4. The Street          AD-4
Highways, streets, and roads are central to the way Americans live their lives and define their surroundings. Our early streets served as markets, social promenades, and playgrounds. Today, they link our cities, towns and neighborhoods via a network that stretches across thousands of miles. This program explores all of America’s various forms of transportation and the ways in which railroads, canals, highways, and back roads have shaped and connected our continent.

5. The Workplace          AD-5
Americans spend nearly a third of their lives at their places of business. This program explores the importance of the workplace in our society by tracing the evolution of the mills, factories, and office towers of our country. Kostof follows the changing social and technological forces brought on by the free enterprise system, the industrial revolution, and the assembly line.

America Lost and Found: The Depression Decade          ED-205
59 min / color / 1980 / DC /VHS
Middle school through adult
This compilation of rare footage conveys the psychological impact of the economic and social collapse that accompanied the Great Depression in the United States. Three and a half years were spent researching and assembling period film, photographs, and other materials. Guided by historians, the filmmakers accumulated revealing images of America’s reaction to its unfulfilled dreams of prosperity and social order and its rebuilding of these dreams. Themes of hope and folly as they appeared in news media-newsreels, recordings, photographs, magazines, advertising and propaganda-tie together this excellent piece of cultural history.

America Quilts          ED-520
80 min / 1999 / PBS / VHS
High school through adult
Handmade quilts, besides keeping people warm, have been a vital part of American folk life and tradition through the centuries. This PBS video examines the colorful craft of quilts from three perspectives---as historical records, symbols of family and community, and works of art. Quilts are shown crossing the barriers of class, age, and ethnicity and reflecting personalities and passions from women’s points of view.

American Art at the Huntington          WA-474
15 min / color / 1994 / AA / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This short video provides an introduction to the Virginia Steele Scott collection of American art at the Huntington Library Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. The presentation is designed for children ages 9 through 14 and is intended to be shown prior to a school group’s visit to the Huntington. The video’s whimsical host takes us on a whiz-bang tour, skipping through the Huntington’s gardens and galleries. The host’s magical picture frame allows us to go from the Colonial period through the early 20th century. We learn about the works of Copley, Stuart, Sargent, Cassatt, Church, and Harnett as well as review the general concepts of portraiture, still life, landscape, and genre painting. The host’s dialogue takes a lighthearted yet educationally sound approach, which makes the background information on the paintings particularly accessible to today’s young audiences.

American Art ’85: A View from the Whitney          ED-219
28 min / color / 1985 / WM / 3/4"vc
College through adult
Artists, critics, and curators at the Whitney Museum of American Art discuss the merits and shortcomings of the 1985 Biennial Exhibition. The Biennial is an invitational survey of contemporary American art initiated more than 50 years ago by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum. Since that time, the exhibition has been considered by many as a significant and comprehensive assessment of current art activity. Lively and often provocative interviews help the viewer to comprehend the rationale behind this famous survey.

American Folk Art          WA-215
30 min / color / 1973 / VM / 3/4"vc
High school through adult
This presentation is based on the exhibition The Flowering of American Folk Art, 1776-1876, which concentrated more on the “folk” than the “art.” The program focuses on many of the works included in the exhibition. Studio footage of Virginia sculptor Clifford Earl and Virginia textile designer Marilyn Wetton enhances the many views of traditional sculpture, painting, and crafts.

American Furniture
30 min each / color / 1974 / PTL / 3/4"vc
College through adult
American furniture expert John Kirk investigates many beautiful and unusual pieces of the 17th to the 19th centuries. Kirk explains the style, design, and form of a variety of antique chairs, cupboards, desks, and chests, and encourages viewers to make aesthetic judgements about them.

1. In the Beginning          AMF-1
Kirk examines the construction techniques of 17th-century American cabinetmakers. He demonstrates lathing and other construction techniques, and explains what constitutes fine craftsmanship. Elements of style and the vocabulary of furniture design are explained.

2. Dating and Style          AMF-2
Focusing on construction and decoration, Kirk defines hallmarks of style in 18th-century American chairs. The evolution of straight and curved forms is traced from the William and Mary style through Queen Anne and Chippendale periods of the Classical Revival.

3. High Style, Country, Primitive, and Rustic          AMF-3
Each of these 4 style groups is defined according to the social and functional demands of its environment. Kirk concentrates on five Chippendale chairs produced at the time of the Revolution.

4. Quality in Design          AMF-4
Kirk presents an essay in connoisseurship. Comparing 2 Windsor chairs, two 18th-century desks, 2 glasses, and 2 automobiles, he explains what criteria he uses in aesthetic judgment.

American History for Children series
12 volumes, 25 min ea / 1996 / VHS
Kindergarten through fourth grade
This 12-part series invites children to learn about America's history through the use of large, brightly colored graphics and animations, live-action portrayals of historic figures, and engaging stories told from a child's point-of-view plus sing-along songs. The series covers much of the traditional aspects of history as well as perspectives of women, children, and other groups whose stories are often overlooked.
1) Native American Life           AH-1
2) Early Settlers           AH-2
3) American Independence AH-3
4) United States Constitution            AH-4
5) African American Life            AH-5
6) Equal Rights for All            AH-6
7) United States Flag            AH-7
8) United States Expansion            AH-8
9) Immigration to the U.S.            AH-9
10) Washington, D.C.            AH-10
11) National Observances            AH-11
12) U.S. Songs and Poems            AH-12

American Indian Artists series    
60 min ea / 1975 / PBS / VHS
College through adult
The following are from a series, which portrays the skill and craft of various American Indian artists. Poet/singer Rod McKuen hosts.

Medicine Flower and Long Wolf & R.C. Gorman          AI-1
The first half of this video profiles artists Grace Medicine Flower and her brother Joseph Lone Wolf, potters from Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico. Medicine Flower and Lone Wolf have revived and extended the traditional forms and techniques of their pre-Columbian ancestors in their work. In the second half of the video, viewers meet R.C. Gorman, a Navajo painter and printmaker at work in his Taos, New Mexico studio completing one of a suite of paintings dedicated to the Navajo woman, his primary subject.

Charles Loloma & Helen Hardin          AI-2
The world-famous Hopi jeweler Charles Loloma displays some of this work and discusses this heritage in the first half of this video. His interests inside and outside the reservation are revealed in his art, which uses only materials indigenous to his homeland: ironwood, ivory, coral, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and shell. The second half of this video explores Helen Hardin’s attempts to integrate the Indian and artist parts of herself, painting sophisticated and colorful geometric patterns and traditional Indian motifs of dancers, deer, and sun and seasons.

American Light: The Luminist Movement          WA-293
33 min / color / 1986 / IFB, CAM3 /VHS
High school through adult
This film is based on the premise that there is something unique about American light, as exemplified by a group of American painters who captured light’s remarkable effects on the vistas they painted. The “luminists” worked in the years spanning 1850 through 1875, and according to John Wilmerding, former curator of American Art at the National Gallery of Art, they created paintings distinguished by certain characteristics: a quality of silence that some scholars interpret as transcendental or mystical; the frequent positioning of objects parallel to the picture plane; and an overall effect that lends itself to intense contemplation. Wilmerding lends insight into the works examined, and the artists who created them, with emphasis on four major artists: Fitz Hugh Lane, John Frederick Kensett, Frederic Edwin Church, and Martin Johnson Heade.

< American Painters
10 min each / color / 1996 / LUC / VHS
In this videotape series, major 20th-century American artists are represented by their most characteristic works. Each program focuses on an individual artist, giving a biography of the person as well as a comprehensive view of the art itself. This is a wonderful introduction to the works of the best-known artists of America.

1. The Southwest of Georgia O’Keeffe         AMP-1

2. The Atlantic Coast of Winslow Homer         AMP-2

3. California and the World of David Hockney         AMP-3

4. The Children of Mary Cassatt         AMP-4

American Picture Palaces         ED-128
23 min / color / 1983 / SI /
High school through adult
This film explores the rise, decline, and rebirth of that early 20th-century American phenomenon the picture palace. Live footage and stills of theaters across the country show the achievements of the architects of the Jazz Age and how many cities have transformed their aging movie palaces into lively centers for the performing arts. Of special interest to classes in architecture, social studies, and the performing arts.

American Style: The Arts and Crafts Movement         WA-247
15 min / color / 1988 / DJ / VHS
High school through adult
The Arts and Crafts Movement in America began in the 1860s as a response to the poor quality and design of machine-made, mass-produced household items. Intended for both beginning and advanced collectors, this video is hosted by D. J. Puffert, a California dealer and collector, owner of the Arts and Crafts Shop in Sausalito, California. Puffert summarizes the history of the period and profiles major figures such as Louis Comfort Tiffany, whose creations made this the most significant movement in American design at the turn of the century.

American Tapestry Today: An Exhibition-1990         WA-522
29 min / color / 1990 / VVP / VHS
High school through adult
This program documents the 1990 juried exhibition sponsored by the American Tapestry Alliance and held at the Syntex Corporation’s headquarters in Palo Alto, California. Selected from over 70 entries from across the United States, the 25 tapestries chosen for the show are a stunning cross-section of style and design and represent some of the most prominent tapestry artists and designers in America. Included in the exhibition are Sylvia Heyden, Scott Hendricksen, Helga Berry, and Elaine Ireland. Take a leisurely walk through the show, learn about the artists, their thoughts about their individual work, and visit the tapestry studio of Chris Laffer in San Jose, CA, to learn more about the process involved in creating a tapestry.

The American Time Capsule         ED-34
3 min / color / 1969 / PFP /VHS
Middle school through adult
Through the process of “kinestasis” (stop-motion photography), this film by Charles Braverman presents 200 years of American history in 4 minutes. Each image is on the screen from one-twelfth to two-thirds of a second. The images occur in chronological order, from the Revolutionary War to the Nixon presidency. The visuals are accompanied by a drum solo that begins with a slow beat and gradually increases in rhythm as the film progresses. This is an excellent film for history classes and for art classes studying collage.

American Vision: The History of American Art and Architecture
60 min each / color / 1996 / PBS / VHS
High school through adult
In this series, Robert Hughes, the renowned art critic for Time magazine, takes viewers on an exuberant guided tour through 200 years of our visual culture, vividly illustrating how art conveys deep messages about who America is as a nation.

1. The Republic of Virtue         AV-1
Some of the first images made in America resemble ancient ones. Jefferson and the other founding fathers feel that classicism lends the young nation power and authority. From heroic statues of George Washington to the architecture of Washington, D.C., the new republic adopts and transforms the classical style to serve a new democratic idea.

2. The Promised Land         AV-2
Before there is an America, disparate bands of settlers strive to carve out an identity in a virgin land. In the west, Spanish missions use art to convert the natives to Catholicism. In the East, plain Protestant settlers are suspicious of art’s pleasures. And in Virginia, an exiled aristocracy re-creates its ideal of England. Early portraits of these settlers ask us to consider the emergence of this new person, this America.

3. The Wilderness and the West         AV-3
Landscapes painting holds deep religious and patriotic connotations; soon, the belief in Manifest Destiny is embodied in art. Traveling from Yellowstone Park to the Hudson River Valley, Hughes explores the artists Albert Bierstadt, John James Audubon, Frederic Church, Frederic Remington, and Thomas Cole. In their work he finds the conflicting impulses to worship the land and to conquer it, to create a myth of the West just as the frontier itself is closing.

4. The Gilded Age         AV-4
The many sides of America in the 19th century are explored in this program; the extravagant “cottages” of Newport’s tycoons, the triumph of the Brooklyn Bridge, the haunting realism of Civil War Photography, the elegant portraits of John Singer Sargent, the American Impressionism of James Whistler and Mary Cassatt. Together with a new breed of distinctly American artists like Thomas Eakins and Winslow Homer, they mirror widely different experiences of the American Dream.

5. A Wave from the Atlantic         AV-5
Waves of immigrants in the early 20th century bring both their old culture and a thirst for the new. Their tenements are documented by photographer Jacob Riis and the socially conscious Ashcan School. Then after the historic 1913 Armory Show, artists like Joseph Stella, Paul Strand, Alfred Stieglitz, and Georgia O’Keeffe forge a modernism that is uniquely American. Some celebrate the industrial sublime. Yet nature is the inspiration that leads Frank Lloyd Wright to develop an organic architecture at the heart of modern design.

6. Streamlines and Breadlines         AV-6
The mythic images of the 1920s and ‘30s are as urban as the skyscrapers rising up in New York and as rural as the heartland idealized by Regionalists like Thomas Hart Benton. Isamu Noguchi, Lewis Hine, and the artists of the WPA celebrate the worker as hero, Jacob Lawrence tell stories of black America, and ambitious New Deal projects like Hoover Dam project self-confidence in hard times. Which is the real modern America-the isolation painted by Edward Hopper or the jazzy vitality captured by Stuart Davis?

7. The Empire of Signs         AV-7
In the post-war era, America’s power is unrivaled, and its artists make an explosive break with the past. Hughes considers the impact of Hiroshima on art, traces the development of Abstract Expressionism and the life of Jackson Pollock, and explores how artists as different as James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg, Joseph Cornell, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns reacted to the new consumer culture.

8. The Age of Anxiety         AV-8
The final program explores how American art has reflected the upheavals of the last 25 years. Hughes traces the evolution of abstract art and minimalism and considers the spiritual richness of earth works in which nature is the artist’s medium. He ends the series by profiling a wide range of contemporary artists. Using a diversity of approaches, Richard Serra, Susan Rothenberg, James Turrell, and others continue to capture uniquely American visions.

An American’s Dream: Jack Warner on Collecting American Art         WA-521
30 min / color / 1997 / VM / VHS
High school through adult
Journey to the world of Jonathan (Jack) Westervelt Warner, who has assembled one of the finest collections of American art still in private hands. David Park Curry, curator of American art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, introduces viewers to this collection as he and Warner visit several locations in Warner’s hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. There Warner expresses with enthusiasm and candor, his ideas about his art as he presents selections from the Warner Collection of the Gulf States Paper Corporation and the David Warner Foundation. Among the artists represented are Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Cole, and Asher B. Durand.

America’s Castles: Movie Palaces          MP-10
50 min / 1998 / A&E / VHS
High school through adult
In the 1920s’ and 1930s’ golden age of Hollywood movies, fabulous theatres were built all around the United States. Designed with architectural motifs from disparate sources as French Empire, Moorish, and Art Deco, these showy examples of revivalist architecture will never ever be duplicated. Peter Graves hosts this loving look at several surviving “movie palaces” in all their splendor and glory along with some fascinating film history.

Anansi Goes Fishing         ED-337
11 min / color / 1992 / AIMS / VHS

In this animated African folktale, Anansi the Spider decides to accept Turtle’s invitation to go fishing with the idea of letting Turtle do all the work. Turtle, however, has other ideas. Anansi not only learns to fish, but to make nets, a skill that later proves invaluable to all spiders.

Anansi the Spider         ED-49
10 min / color / 1977 / TEXFLM /VHS
Preschool through adult
An animated film by Gerald McDermott about Anansi, a folk hero of the Ashanti people of Ghana. In this tale Anansi falls into a river and is swallowed by a fish, but his 6 extraordinary sons save him. He then is carried off by a falcon, but again his sons save him. Anansi wants to give a beautiful white globe to the son who helped him most, but cannot decide which son it is. Nyame, the One God, places the shining globe in the sky for all the sons to share; it is the moon.
Suggested Classroom Activity: Have children write their own folk legend about a common phenomenon (why the sky is blue, why crickets chirp at night, etc.).

Anatole         ED-373
9 min / color / 1960 / CF / VHS

Based on the Caldecott Honor book by Eve Titus, this is the classic story of the mouse who becomes a “big cheese.” The owner of the Duval Cheese Factory is at first appalled that a mouse has been running through his factory, but he soon begins to appreciate Anatole’s remarkable cheese-tasting ability. In the end, Anatole is given a permanent job tasting cheese. Excellent motivational tool for provoking discussion on individual worth and illustrating that even the smallest person can make a difference.

Anatomy of a Mural         WA-159
15 min / color / 1982 / RG /VHS
Elementary school through adult
This film, a document of the creation of a large mural painted on the facade of a Latin-American community center in San Francisco, shows the artists at work, from the initial conception of the design to its completion. The muralists themselves explain the artistic process involved and enthusiastically express their feelings and philosophies about creating a community-based work of art.
Suggested Classroom Activity: Have students create their own thematic mural. Large sheets of paper affixed to a hallway wall provide an excellent working surface.

Ancient Civilizations
29 min each / color / 1991 / AGC / VHS
Middle school through adult
What prompted ancient civilizations to begin and why did they develop the way they did? Using computer graphics to re-create ancient structures, this series examines the ancient civilizations that existed in the river valleys of China, India, Egypt, and Central America to explain how modern society was shaped.

1. The Beginning Is in the End         ANCIV-1
The first program concentrates on Sumer, a region of Mesopotamia, where it is believed that humans first began to farm and build settlements. This crucial event in history, known as the Neolithic Revolution, begins the story of civilizations.

2. Safekeeping         ANCIV-2
Using Athens and Sparta as comparisons and the Etruscans and Republican Rome as other examples, this second program examines ancient security systems and how they evolved into sophisticated governments and codes of law. The history and myths associated with Delphi are described in detail.

3. Balancing the Budget         ANCIV-3
The discovery of agriculture and the subsequent domestication of animals gradually led to economics based on trade. This evolution is examined in detail as it occurred in ancient Egypt. Also studied are the great traders of Minoa and Phoenicia. A surplus of food is shown to lead to the division of labor and, therefore, to a class system. At the pinnacle of Egyptian society was the pharaoh, whose status and responsibilities are explored at length. The extraordinary accomplishments of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut are revealed.

4. On the Town         ANCIV-4
The cultural achievements and extraordinary sophistication of the ancient societies are examined in this fourth program. Greek poets and philosophers are discussed, and selections from Homer and Sappho are read. Ancient beliefs in China are examined, and the effects of Confucius and yin and yang on Chinese life are described. The program concludes with a return to Greece and a study of how people lived: daily activities, living conditions, the roles of men and women, education, marriage, and religion.

5. Legacies VANCIV-5
Ancient Rome provides a powerful example of how the past laid the groundwork for many developments in the Western world today. This program examines Rome’s Pantheon, aqueducts, and bathhouses. The Greek origin of Roman theater is traced to its roots in religion, and influential works such as Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata are explored. The relationship between ancient sporting events such as the Olympic Games and religion are discussed. Viewers return to Greece, where the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates are compared.

6. The End Is the Beginning         ANCIV-6
Although no one knows conclusively why the glorious societies of ancient history declined, many theories exist. This last program examines these hypotheses and suggests that ancient civilizations fell because they did not adapt to the political and environmental changes they had precipitated.

Ancient Civilizations for Children series    
9 parts; 23 min ea / 1998 / AK / VHS/DVD
Third through seventh grades
Join archeologist Arizona Smith and his young detective-in-training as they delve into clues of the past as they unlock mysteries of the world’s ancient civilizations.

Ancient Rome for Children         ACC-1
Ancient Greece for Children         ACC-2
Ancient Egypt for Children         ACC-3
Ancient China for Children         ACC-4
Ancient Africa for Children         ACC-5
Ancient Mesopotamia for Children         ACC-6
Ancient Inca for Children         ACC-7
Ancient Maya for Children         ACC-8
Ancient Aegean for Children         ACC-9
Ancient Aztec Empire for Children         ACC-10 DVD only

Ancient Egypt         WA-532
23 min / color / 1997 / DSC / VHS
Elementary school
This video contains three segments: Ancient Egypt, Hieroglyphics, and Pyramids of Egypt. The video uses current footage and some graphics to provide an overview of topics. The video should be used with other materials to provide a basic lesson on each of these topics.

Ancient Egyptian Civilizations         WA-406
21 min / color / 1993 / AIMS / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Filmed entirely on location in Egypt, this program introduces the ancient civilization of Egypt, from wall paintings on the tombs of pharoahs to the magnificence of the pyramids. Monuments to the pantheon of Egyptian gods are seen in the architecture of the Temple of Amon-Ra at Karnac, called the ancient throne of the world, and the Temple of Luxor at Thebes, another marvel of antiquity.

Ancient Greece           WA-283
10 min / color / 1976 / CORF / VHS
Middle school through adult
The Parthenon, the Academia, the Plain of Marathon, Delphi, and the Athenian countryside all reflect the spirit of ancient Greece. This video examines this spirit and traces the many ways Greek civilization advanced beyond the older civilizations of Egypt and Babylonia, particularly in areas such as sea travel, trading, fishing and agriculture. Also considered are the influences of Ancient Greek culture on life today-in the sciences, mathematics, history, geography and even sports.

Ancient Greece: A Journey Back in Time          WA-572
50 min / 1999 / KUL / VHS
High school through adult
Illuminated by computer imagery, live action recreations, actual locations, and noted British scholars, this video provides a vividly concise history of Greek culture: dramatic struggles to survive as a free society, Athens and Sparta rivalry, everyday life, Olympics, politics, philosophy, sculpture, architecture, and drama.

Ancient Lives
25 min each / color / 1986 / FFH /VHS
High school through adult
The history of a single Egyptian village, from the time of the great Ramses through the decline of pharaonic power some 500 years later, is traced in this fascinating series. In this village the tombs in the Valley of the Kings were built, and John Romer, our enthusiastic host, shares the excitement of making its inhabitants come alive: from Paneb the unruly foreman to Djutmose the dutiful scribe; from descriptions of what the villagers dreamed about to the first sit-down strike in recorded history.

1. The Village of the Craftsmen           AL-1
This first program introduces Egypt at the height of its power, and reveals its people-the pharaohs who were memoralized by the great tombs and the craftsmen who built them. We learn who the villagers were, why their village flourished at the time of Egypt’s greatest power, and why we know so much about them.

2. The Valley of the Kings           AL-2
The tombs of Ipi the workman and Kha the architect illustrate the daily rituals of life, as well as the nature of tools, furniture, clothes, kitchen utensils, and foods. As we explore the tomb of Tutmose III, Romer explains what its paintings and hieroglyphs mean.

3. An Artist’s Life           AL-3
Details of Paneb’s life are revealed: how he carried out his duties as foreman of a crew of superb stone carvers and how he eventually came to grief. His story leads us to the world’s oldest map. Romer also discusses the Egyptian interest in the relationship between day and night, life and death, flood and drought.

4. Temple Priests and Civil Servants           AL-4
Life in the mine and the palace was unchanged for hundreds of years, until faraway battles and changing weather patterns created shortages and discontent among the people. Religious ceremonies, music, and dance are discussed, along with the relationship between pharaoh, gods, priests, and common people.

5. Woman’s Place           AL-5
A woman’s place was in the home, but her status was honorable. The ceremonies surrounding childbirth, which were performed every morning at every temple in ancient Egypt, provide the jumping-off point for a discussion of love, marriage, and divorce. Romer also presents some of the tender and expressive love poetry written by both the men and women of the village.

6. Dreams and Rituals           AL-6
The dreams of the villagers were recorded together with their interpretations, giving us a firsthand portrait of the fears, frustrations, and joys of ancient life. In a fascinating segment, Romer presents the erotic papyrus of Turin, which shows normal and topsy-turvy life, the village oracle and his shrine, and the fate of the thieves of the tomb of Montukerkoposhef.

7. The Year of the Hyena           AL-7
The Year of the Hyena has passed, the famine is over. The date is October 5, 1079 B.C. by our calendar, a time of disillusionment, decay, and change, as the entire village moves to the temple compound at Medinet Habu. We meet Djutmose the scribe; Herihor, a general sent by the King to take control of the Year of the Hyena; and Butamen, son of Djutmose, who investigates plundered tombs.

8. The Deserted Village           AL-8
As desert sands slowly begin to cover the deserted village, we suddenly realize how fragile our link with these ancient lives has been. In the final program, Romer discusses how the valley today offers clues to those who care to read them.

Ancient Greece
25 min / 2001 / VHS
Elementary through middle school
This well-produced Discovery Channel program clearly explains in 3 segments the influences ancient Greeks had on Western civilization. #1 Alexander the Great growing-up, becoming conqueror, and spreading Greek culture and philosophy. #2 The basic teachings of Socrates and Plato. #3 Follows the thrilling adventure of Homer's Odyssey and explains the Greeks' relationship with their gods and mythology.

Ancient Rome           WA-284
11 min / color / 1976 / CORF / VHS
Middle school through adult
Remnants of ancient Rome-the Appian Way, the Colosseum, Domitian’s Palace, the Forum, and the Sacra Via-recall an ancient culture that has made many countless contributions to western civilization in fields such as civil law, architecture, and engineering. Ancient Rome contrasts the city of impressive architectural monuments and palatial homes with the city of the tenement housing, soaring crime rates, and even air pollution.

Ancient Rome: The Glorious Empire           WA-601
50 min / 1999 / VHS
High school through adult
This overview of the city of Rome in its empirical heydays uses the most up-to-date findings, computer graphics, and a number of scholars commentary to recreate authentic views of Rome as it would have been. Views of locations as they are now--such as the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Pantheon--are also included.

Andrew Wyeth Self-Portrait: Snow Hill           WA-460
60 min / color / 1995 / CTC / VHS/DVD
Middle school through adult
Sensitively narrated by actor Stacy Keach, this intimate self-portrait was lovingly produced by the artist’s wife, Betsy James Wyeth, and explores over 60 years of Andrew Wyeth’s personal drama. This video incorporates the artist’s great works of art with family photographs, home movies, personal letters, never-before-seen footage of Wyeth, and the first interview granted by famed model Helga Testorf. This tremendously moving program lends a treasured and unforgettable insight into Andrew Wyeth’s very private world.

Andy Goldsworthy: Rivers and Tides            WA-622
90 min / 2004 / DVD
High school through college
Goldsworthy painstakingly makes his art entirely of materials found in nature, a force that in turn threatens and often succeeds in destroying the works even before he has finished. This award-winning feature film follows this gentle artist all over the earth that is essentially his beautiful, infinite studio. He discloses and demonstrates his unique creative process achieving the ultimate ephemeral beauty.

Andy Warhol: The Complete Picture            WA-628
104 min / 2002 / DVD
College through adult
Who was Andy Warhol? This is the definitive look at the man who became the "superstar" Pop artist and enigmatically lorded over an empire of painting, film, and music. Tracing his life from a child in steel country near Pittsburgh to the epicenter of hip counter-culture in New York, the very human side of this postmodern visionary is revealed with rare film footage and comments from family, celebrities, and associates. "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes".

Animal Sculptures           AT-44
8 min / color / 1986 / BFF / VHS
Elementary school through adult
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, sculptor John Bedford creates larger-than-life endangered animals out of scrap metal and old car parts. Bedford, an articulate environmentalist, gives interesting background on how he creates sculptures, and he talks about his own creative process, and the message he hopes his sculptures will convey. Especially recommended for art and science classes.

Animals in Art #1            ROM-1
2001 / CD-ROM
Elementary through middle school
Interactively explore animals in art through the centuries and around the world.

Animals in Art #2            ROM-2
2001 / CD-ROM
Elementary through middle school
Interactively explore animals in the works of artists and illustrators working today and how animals have inspired their artistic styles.

Animated Films by Karen Aqua            EX-5
42 min / 1976-1992 / VHS
High school through adult
Karen Aqua's handcrafted, animated films (unassisted by computer-graphics) explore the themes of ritual, journeys, transformation, and the human spirit. The elements of rhythm, dance, music, and color blend in these eight fascinating studies of animation art. Includes: Perpetual Motion, Kakania, Nine Lives, and Yours for the Taking.

The Animation Series
Varied times; see below / color / 1987 / AIMS / VHS
Middle school through adult
David Johnson’s award-winning series on film animation is excellent for students of art, photography, film and communications. The 3 programs teach the techniques of animation, using 8mm or cameras with still-frame capability, and inspire students to create their own films.

1. The Animation Game (15 min)           AS-1
A variety of zany, colorful characters, the kind many aspiring animators want to create, provide quick, comprehensive instruction that audiences should find amusing and stimulating. Many techniques are covered, including illustration, three-dimensional models, cut-out, and pixilation.

2. Puppet Animation (16 min)           AS-2
Dennis, an animated dragon, hosts this lively presentation. He explains simple techniques of puppet animation and shows that almost any object can be animated on film. Dennis shows how to animate common objects such as household utensils, nails, eggs, cans, spools, and clock parts. Then he demonstrates how to achieve special effects with a transparent screen; gives advice on front- and back-lighting; introduces the principles of sound effects; and shows how to use frame counts to achieve different action speeds.

3. Cut-Out Animation (8 min)           AS-3
Johnson shows how to cut and form simple paper figures and then animate them to achieve a wide range of visual effects. A simple story line, interesting sound effects, and a lesson on movement make this an especially delightful conclusion to the series.

Ansel Adams          ED-459
100 min / 2002 / PBS / VHS, DVD
This Ric Burns documentary is the intimate portrait of a revolutionary photographer who not only pioneered photographic technique but also crusaded for the environment. His stunning photos in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains mean to capture what he called “the continuous beauty of the things that are”. Few American artists have reached a wider audience nor equaled Adams’ ability to grasp the majesty of our continent.

Ansel Adams, Photographer           WA-475
60 min / color / 1981 / AA / VHS
Middle school through adult
This film is an absorbing and warmhearted portrait of Ansel Adams, one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. It captures the spirit and artistry of the man as he talks about his life and demonstrates the techniques that have made his work legendary. As Adams talks of the country he loves, viewers glimpse his photographs juxtaposed with the landscapes he photographed. In a conversation with artist Georgia O’Keeffe, Adams discusses his association with her husband, pioneer photographer Alfred Steiglitz.

Antonello da Messina           WA-355
30 min / color / 1989 / ARTSA / VHS
High school through adult
The work of Antonello da Messina (1430-79) created an important link between painting in Italy and painting in the northern Low Countries during the mid-15th century. More than any other Italian artist of his time, Antonello showed a keen interest in the work of 15th-century Flemish artists, such as Jan Van Eyck. In style, subject and technique, Antonello effectively translated these distinctly Northern influences into the language of the Italian Renaissance.

Antonin Dvorak: Bohemian Composer           WA-449
26 min / color / 1987 / NDV / VHS
Middle school through adult
This 19th-century composer’s greatness lies in his ability to bring the musical traditions of his rural upbringing to the concert halls of the world. Helped by Brahms and befriended by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak became an international figure in the late 1800s. In the United States, he founded an American school of classical music based on the rhythms of black spirituals and Native American chants, as reflected in his Symphony No. 5, the “New World Symphony.” In spite of his great musical talent and renown, Dvorak preferred the simple life of the forests and hills of his native Bohemia. He returned there in 1902 where he lived until his untimely death in 1904.

Apache Visions in Stone: The Art of Alan Houser          ED-491
25 min / 2000 / TEL / VHS
High school through adult
Rooted in Apache cultural traditions, the art of Allen Houser speaks a universal human language. Produced on location at his studio in New Mexico, this video explores Houser’s creative process and his devotion to revealing-through-art the many facets of Native American culture.

Appalachian Journey           ED-347
60 min / color / 1991 / PBS / VHS
Middle school through adult
Folklorist Alan Lomax travels to the Smoky Mountains to discover how a mix of British and African-American cultures, urban influences, and contact with the Cherokee Indians resulted in the region’s unique blend of ballads, legends, hand-made toys, and square dancing.

Architecture 2000: Contemporary Cities series
29 min ea, 6 parts/ 2000/ VHS
High school through adult
In the words of world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, "Cities are the greatest works of art that a culture can produce." This informative and analytical six-part series, which combines outstanding aerial and ground-level footage with keen sociopolitical insights, creates a remarkable collage of urban development around the world. These programs thoroughly explore modern city architecture within a cultural context.

Hong Kong: Asia's New Skyline            CC-1
Tokyo: The Eclectic Metropolis            CC-2
New York: A City Silhouette            CC-3
Los Angeles: A Fantasy Cityscape            CC-4
Paris: A Metropolitan Masterpiece            CC-5
London: A City in Transition            CC-6

Architecture of China: The Celestial Empire: Path of the Dragon            NEW!
26 min/2001/ VHS
Middle School to Adult
Architecture of China relates social standards of the past 5000 years to the architecture of the empire. China has undergone millennia of political, religious, and social evolution that accounts for many of its famous architectural structures. Palaces, temples, pavilions, residential houses and modern office buildings are all incorporated into this documentary as is a brief history of the rise of the People’s Republic of China in the 20th century.

Arno Werner, Master Bookbinder           WA-476
28 min / color / 1983 / AA / VHS
Middle school through adult
Arno Werner, born in West Germany, studied with Ignatz Wiemeler, a disciple of the Arts and Crafts Movement in England. A master bookbinder, Werner’s illustrious work has been commissioned worldwide by both royalty and presidents, and for 40 years he has been the chief bookbinder at the Houghton Rare Book Library, Harvard University. This video examines the history of hand binding, Werner’s step-by-step techniques, and his opinions about life and the pursuit of distinguished craftsmanship.

Arrow to the Sun           ED-48
12 min / color / 1977 / TEXFLM /VHS
Preschool through adult
From the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico comes this classic tale of a boy’s search for his identity and purpose in life. The search leads him on a dazzling voyage to the sun. There, in the sky village, the boy passes through fierce trials until he is recognized by his father, Lord of the Sun. Triumphantly, the boy returns to earth to spread the Sun’s warm delights. The designs in the film are based on the unique art of the Acoma Indians.

Art Ache
Varied times / color / 1990 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
In this 3-part series, artists, promoters, curators, and collectors discuss a marketplace for modern art in which timing is everything, prices are manipulated, and the image of the artist is as important as the art itself. These intriguing programs debate the issues of the longevity of art created from substances that don’t last and the implications of art driven by the demands of materialistic consumers.

1. The Game of Art and How to Play It (51 min)           ART-1
Today collecting art is a lucrative, full-time job. This first program examines how money affects art, focusing on the collectors and art consultants who see modern art less as an aesthetic pursuit and more as an international commodity. Also, investors and specialists consider the transient nature of modern art and the question of conservation.

2. The Image of an Artist (53 min)           ART-2
In this program, interviews with artists-including Jeff Koons, the Starn Twins, William Wegman, and the duo David McDermott and Peter McGough-address how fame, the media, agents, and money affect the creative process. What are the artist’s priorities? Is money more important than immortality? As artists actively market their work, do they create art from inner vision or strive to meet public demand?

3. Life Is Short (50 min)           ART-3
This third program examines the changing role that art plays in contemporary culture through the opinions of British “rubbish” sculptor Tony Cragg, American artist Jackie Winsor, and the artistic duo David McDermott and Peter McGough. Along with curators, conservators, and collectors, they describe a modern art scene in which timing is everything, and museums are run as businesses.

Art and Revolution in Mexico           ED-422
51 min / color / 1982 / FFH / VHS / DVD
High school through adult
Mexico has an unmatched legacy of painters who have recorded history in a politically most outspoken way. Rivera, Siquerios, and Orosco among others, produced some of the finest examples of socio/political art in their famous murals and frescoes. The art of revolution and the revolution in art are explored by Mexican author, Octavio Paz. Good for social studies also.

Art and Science           ED-423
23 min / color / 1995 / FFH / VHS

Today’s artists utilize a multitude of sophisticated technologies based on scientific principles. This video elucidates how our contemporary creators make extensive use of simple everyday science, as well as more advanced concepts and equipment including photocopiers, neon light, and computers. Also, excellent for crafts, graphics, science, and math classes.

Art and Life in the Middle Ages: The Luttrell Psalter          WA-562
36 min / 2000 / FFH / VHS
High school through adult
This video uses the illuminated psalm book of Sir Geoffrey Luttrell to describe daily live on a 14th-century English estate. Its first section focuses on the design of the Psalter and depictions of everyday life. The second section spotlights the prominent role of religion in daily life and explains how saints are depicted by symbols of their martyrdom.

Art Careers! Talks with Working Professionals series     
6 parts; 30 min ea / 2001 / CRYS / VHS
Middle school through adult
This series gets right to the point with in-depth talks by professionals about their chosen fields. Made with the young artist in mind, each person reflects on their typical workday, skills, and how family and school experiences shaped their careers.

1. Archaeologist, Architect, Stained Glass Artist           ARC-1
2. Graphic Designer, Industrial Designer, Public Artist           ARC-2
3. Botanical Illustrator, Computer Animator, Museum Curator           ARC-3
4. Scenic Designer, Interior Designer, Sculptor           ARC-4
5. Landscape Architect, Potter, Toy Designer           ARC-5
6. Children’s Book Illustrator, Photojournalist, Futuristic Artist           ARC-6

The Art Cart
10 min each / color / 1979 / AIT / VHS
Elementary school
“Cut and paste” may be old hat even to a first grader, but old hat gives way to imagination in this primary level video art series that stimulates the creativity of young viewers as it offers teachers an abundance of media techniques. In programs designed to be followed by student participation in the classroom, teacher Barbara Huhn first demonstrates a technique, then presents variations and alternative projects that suggest other imaginative uses of inexpensive and easily accessible materials. Produced by WBRA-TV, Roanoke, with funds from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

1. Painting           AC-1
Using flat and round brushes and tempera as a means of self-expression; color mixing and shading; experimenting with various paints to create original paintings.

2. Printing           AC-2
Glue printing and object printing; designing a pattern to be printed or stamped.

3. Weaving           AC-3
Weaving techniques and simple loom construction, beginning with simple paper weavings and then moving on to fabric and yarn weavings.

4. Collage           AC-4
Making a paper collage and adding “treasures” to it; constructing a wood-and-weed collage.

5. Puppets           AC-5
Constructing many kinds of puppets through the imaginative use of common materials; animating a puppet by giving it a name, a voice, and movements appropriate to its visual character.

6. Mosaics           AC-6
Designing a paper mosaic and a mosaic using seeds, pasta, and buttons; setting objects in plaster “grout.”

7. Jewelry           AC-7
Demonstrating techniques for making beads, pendants, bracelets, and pins from inexpensive materials-simple to form and original in design.

8. Paper Sculpture and Masks           AC-8
Manipulating flat paper into three-dimensional forms; combining basic forms-cylinders, cubes, triangles, and cones-to create sculpted paper monster-masks.

9. Clay           AC-9
Modeling basic shapes-balls, cylinders, cubes, and coils-into interesting objects; pressing texture into clay surfaces.

10. Crayons           AC-10
Creating abstract, transparent designs from crayon shavings; finding uses for broken and peeled crayons.

Art City series     
58 min ea / 1996-2002 / TF / VHS
College through adult
This 3-part series profiles numerous contemporary artists and their work habits and lifestyles. It gives excellent insight into survival as an artist in the 21st century and explores their methods using their own commentary.

Art City: Simplicity           ATC-1
2002
Traveling around the country, Art City takes viewers on a revealing trip into the studios and lives of several artists. Included are Richard Tuttle in Santa Fe, Agnes Martin in Taos, John Baldessari in Santa Monica, Amy Adler in Los Angeles, Robert Williams in the San Fernando Valley, Joan Snyder in Woodstock, NY, Mike Bidlo in Manhattan, and Carolyn Martin in Brooklyn.

Art City: A Ruling Passion            ATC-2
2002
This installment focuses on intense personalities who’ve used their art to explore the emotional impact, or dark humor of psychological truths. Included are Louise Bourgeois, Michael Ray Charles, Elizabeth Peyton, Ed Ruscha, Lari Pittman, Richmond Burton, and David Deutsch.

Art City: Making it in Manhattan           ATC-3
1996
Artists, along with collectors and dealers, illuminate life in New York, the art capital of the world, as it plunges into the 21st Century. Included are Brice Marden, Chuck Close, Louise Bourgeois, Neil Jenney, Elizabeth Murray, Ashley Bickerton, and Gary Simmons.

Art Deco: Streamline Design        & WA-559
23 min / 1996 / LUC / VHS
High school through adult
Art Deco was a style that was incorporated into all forms of creative and functional designs in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Its geometric patterns and futuristic shapes influenced Erte, Bakst, Lalique, and even designers of architecture, automobiles, and ocean liners. This video presents a concise history of the style with numerous examples.

Art Elements: An Introduction           ED-166
17 min / color / 1981 / BFA /VHS
Middle school through adult
This film introduces and reviews the basic elements of two-dimensional art: line, space, color, pattern, and texture. It also provides experiences and motivational images not commonly found in the classroom, such as close-ups of seashells, tree branches, and rocks, to extend students’ visual awareness of their environment.

Art ex Libris           ED-438
60 min / color / 1995 / VHS
College through adult
A document of the National Invitational Book Art Exhibition at Artspace Gallery in Richmond, 1994. “Book Art” is that which bases its aesthetic on the concept or theme of the “book” expanding the boundaries and raising questions about books, art, and life. This was a show that used an all-inclusive definition of “book,” be it sculptural, painterly, photographic, or written form. Made by noted book artist, Mitzi Humphrey.

Art for Art’s Sake           ED-393
30 min / color / 1996 / CTC / VHS
Middle school through adult
The contemporary art world of the American West is bursting with life as the natural beauty of the land influences the artists living there. Here craft persons, writers, painters, sculptors, and performers find inspiration in the country’s grandeur. Join them in celebrating a Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead, as they go to the streets and galleries that exhibit works to commemorate this day.

Art from the Ashes: William Kentridge            VA-4
52 min
Artist, filmmaker, dramatist, William Kentridge demonstrates his remarkable technique: stop-action animation using photos of charcoal drawings in which he has erased and redrawn scenes in different arrangements. His works powerfully illustrates abiding concerns with the sociopolitical legacy of racial oppression and colonialism in South Africa.

Art in an Age of Mass Culture           WA-370
30 min / color / 1990 / BFI / VHS / DVD
High school through adult
In response to the exhibition High & Low: High Art and Popular Culture, which opened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the fall of 1990, this program probes issues raised in the exhibition itself. Structured around a walk-through of the show with its curators Kirk Varnedoe and Adam Gopnik, this program dwells on the impact that mass, or consumer, culture has had on 20th-century art. Four aspects of mass culture are specifically addressed: advertising, comics, graffiti, and caricature. Interviews with many of the artists included in the exhibition enrich this presentation of a subject crucial to an understanding of the art of this century. Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, Jeff Koons, Jenny Holzer, and Elizabeth Murray are among the many artists discussed.

Art in the Making: Impressionism           WA-545
22 min / color / 1990 / RC / VHS
High school through adult
Focusing on a group of newly-restored Impressionist paintings in London’s National Gallery of Art, this video explores the development of the French Impressionist style of painting. The program is an excellent tool for art classes, as well as social studies and physical science classes studying late nineteenth-century technology and the industrial revolution. Some of the topics explored include the invention of tubes to contain paint, square-ended brushes, and machine-produced paints, all of which greatly advanced the stylistic development of the Impressionist painters, freeing them to more ably capture the fleeting effects of light on their subjects.

Art in the Stations: Detroit People Mover           WA-377
30 min / color / 1989 / SMF / VHS
Middle school through adult
Filmed over a 2-year period, this video program celebrates the largest public art project in the United States by showing the actual fabrication and installation of 15 commissioned works of art adorning the newly built stations of the People Mover, a subway system in downtown Detroit. Artists from all over the United States discuss their particular works and the challenges and triumphs involved in working on such a large scale and, often, with new materials. Recommended for civic groups as well as art and architecture classes.

Art: Live and on Tour           WA-395
18 min / color / 1990 / FMC / VHS
Middle school through adult
This lively and informative video explores the teamwork and commitment behind the making of the exhibition Impressionism: Selections from Five American Museums, a collaborative effort of the Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City), the Saint Louis Art Museum, and the Toledo Museum of Art. The program answers such questions as: How do 5 museums team up to plan and promote a major exhibition? Who chooses the works of art, and how are they packed and shipped? How is the exhibition space redesigned to accommodate these works, and who decides where the paintings will hang? How will the exhibition be promoted and interpreted for the public? This engaging program takes viewers on a tour behind the doors of 5 American museums to look at the people and jobs involved in creating a special exhibition.

Art Nouveau           WA-216
30 min / color / 1971 / VM / 3/4"vc, VHS
High school through adult
This videotape investigates posters, glass, furniture, lamps, jewelry, and other decorative works of the Art Nouveau period. These objects, by such turn-of-the-century artists as Gallé, Daum, Majorelle, and Tiffany, were featured in a major loan exhibition of Art Nouveau organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 1971.

Art Nouveau: 1890-1914         WA-555
30 min / 2000 / NGA / VHS
High school through adult
This is an exploration of the ideas and visions that defined the Art Nouveau movement primarily featuring objects from a major exhibition held at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Well-known designers such as Lalique, Tiffany, and Guimard are featured along with an array of outstanding examples of the style (some from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts). Rare archival movie footage of the era is shown as well as some of the most important architectural landmarks including those designed by Victor Horta, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and Louis Sullivan.

The Art of Barbara Hepworth
49 min / 2004 / DVD
High school through adult
Narrated in her own words, this video traces British-born Barbara Hepworth's life and career. Hepworth's stone sculptures began somewhat naturalistically in the 1920s and grew increasingly powerfully abstract through the 1930s as she developed into one of the greatest and most identifiable modern minimalists.

Art Beyond Sight: A Demonstration of Practical Techniques for Teaching Art to People With Visual Impairments
64 min / 2003 / VHS
College through adult
This video, hosted by Meredith Vieira, has a 23 min overview of how to make art accessible to the visually impaired plus vignettes detailing how to use verbal descriptions, touch tours, tactile diagrams, and art-making in museums and classrooms. Produced by MOMA and Art Education for the Blind, Inc.

Art of Glass            WA-625
15 min / 1999 / VHS
Middle school through adult
This exquisite video features the exhibition the Chrysler Museum of Norfolk offered in 1999 with four of the most important contemporary glass artists: Dale Chihuly, Stephen Antonakos, William Morris, and Therman Statom. Each artist speaks and describes his methods and ideas about glass and art with lavish images from their installations in the museum's galleries.

The Art of Indonesia: Tales from the Shadow World           OA-31
28 min / color / 1990 / AA / VHS
High school through adult
Girding the equator like a string of emeralds, the 13,000 islands of Indonesia are dotted with steaming volcanoes, cascading waterfalls, and magnificent temple ruins such as Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world. This documentary explores Indonesia’s ancient treasures and its “shadow world”: the rituals, myths, and performances by which the people believe the harmony of the universe is maintained. Weaving together old Javanese poetry, sculpture, stunning landscapes, music, and performances by traditional artists, this visually splendid film shot in Java and Bali introduces viewers to the myths and symbols that have permeated Indonesian culture for more than 1,000 years.

The Art of the Dogon           WA-478
24 min / color / 1988 / AA / VHS
Middle school through adult
The Dogon people of Mali possess one of the richest art traditions in West Africa. Residing in an imposing landscape of steep cliffs and arid plains, the Dogon have for centuries created powerful sculpture to use in rituals and their daily life. This program is based on the extensive collection of Lester Wunderman at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and footage shot in Mali. The Art of the Dogon attempts to capture the beauty and power of Dogon art while placing it in context within Dogon beliefs and culture.

Art of the Middle Ages           WA-70
30 min / color / 1963 / EBEC /VHS
Middle school through adult
In this film, the art of the Middle Ages is discussed as we see the extensive sculptural work found in several French cathedrals. Narrator John Canaday explains the artistic developments that were manifested in such churches as the Cathedral of St. Foi at Conques, St.-Lazare at Autun, and Reims. The film is an excellent introduction to medieval art. The film Chartres continues many of the ideas that are introduced in this film.

The Art of Kabuki            NEW!
36 min/1988/ VHS
Middle school through adults
Beginning in the 17th century, Kabuki, or Japanese stylized theatre is still thrives today as an important aspect of Japanese culture. Kabuki, which combines music, painting, and dance, is an intense and beautiful art form that focuses on transformations, both with the characters and the landscapes. This film traces the origins of Kabuki, as well as demonstrates costume and makeup techniques of this classic theatrical art.

Art of the Potter            ED-557
50 min / 1972 / VHS
College through adult
Filmed in Japan and England, this film is a document of two of the most respected potters of the 20th century, Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada. It studiously reveals working methods and techniques of the master Hamada and traces his entire process of pottery-making. Interspersed are observations by Leach on the criteria of beauty in pottery, old and new.

The Art of Romare Bearden            WA-662 NEW!
30 min/2003/ DVD
College through adult
This National Gallery film traces Bearden’s entire career, including his 1940s paintings and watercolors, the maturation of his collages after 1964, large scale public murals, and late landscapes. Bearden’s art draws from his roots in North Carolina, and his adult life in Pittsburgh, Harlem, and in the Caribbean and blends cultures of Harlem, Europe, and Africa. Narrated by Morgan Freeman with readings by Danny Glover.

art: 21: Art in the 21st Century Seasons 1, 2 , & 3
4 hours ea in 20 min segments / 2001-05 / VHS, DVD
College through adult
This highly praised PBS series takes viewers behind the scenes to provide an intimate portrait of some of today's most in-demand artists: their words, lives, works, sources of inspiration, and creative processes.

Season 1            WA-563
2001
Divided into four parts based on particular themes: Place, Spirituality, Identity, and Consumption, this season is hosted by Steve Martin, Laurie Anderson, S. Epatha Merkerson, and John McEnroe. Artists (in 20 min segments): Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois, Michael Ray Charles, Mel Chin, John Feodorov, Ann Hamilton, Margaret Kilgallen, Beryl Korot, Barbara Kruger, Maya Lin, Sally Mann, Kerry James Marshall, Barry McGee, Bruce Nauman, Pepon Osario, Richard Serra, Shahzia Sikander, James Turrell, William Wegman, and Andrea Zittel.

Season 2            WA-608
2003
College through adult
Themes: Stories, Loss and Desire, Time, and Humor. Hosts: John Waters, Jane Alexander, Merce Cunningham, Margaret Cho. Artists: Eleanor Antin, Janine Antoni, Charles Atlas, Vija Celmins, Walton Ford, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Tim Hawkinson, Elizabeth Murray, Gabriel Orozco, Raymond Pettibon, Paul Pfeiffer, Martin Puryear, Callier Schorr, Kiki Smith, Do-Ho Suh, and Kara Walker.

Season 3            WA-550
2005
College through adult
Themes: Power, Memory, Structures, Play. Hosts: David Alan Grier, Isabella Rossellini, Sam Waterston, Grant Hill. Artists: Laylah Ali, Ida Applebroog, Ellen Gallagher, Cai Guo-Qiang, Arturo Herrera, Oliver Herring, Roni Horn, Mike Kelley, Josiah McElheny, Matthew Ritchie, Susan Rothenberg, Jessica Stockholder, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Richard Tuttle, Fred Wilson, Krzyztof Wodiczko.

Season 4            WA-661 NEW!
2007
College through adult
The latest of PBS’s acclaimed series about contemporary art. Themes: Romance, Protest, Ecology, and Paradox. Artists: Laurie Simmons, Lari Pittman, Judy Pfaff, Pierre Huyghe, Nancy Spero, An-My Le, Alfredo Jaar, Jenny Holzer, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Robert Adams, Mark Dion, Mark Bradford, Catherine Sullivan, Robert Ryman, Allora & Calzadilla

art: 21: Art in the 21st Century         WA-563
4 hours on two cassettes / 2001 / PBS / VHS
College through adult
This PBS produced series takes viewers behind the scenes to provide an intimate portrait of some of today’s most in-demand artists, their lives, works, sources of inspiration and creative processes. Divided into four parts based on particular themes: Place, Spirituality, Identity, and Consumption, the series is hosted by Steve Martin, Laurie Anderson, S. Epatha Merkerson, and John McEnroe. Included artists: each in 20 min segments: Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois, Michael Ray Charles, Mel Chin, John Feodorov, Ann Hamilton, Margaret Kilgallen, Beryl Korot, Barbara Kruger, Maya Lin, Sally Mann, Kerry James Marshall, Barry McGee, Bruce Nauman, Pepon Osario, Richard Serra, Shahzia Sikander, James Turrell, William Wegman, and Andrea Zittel.

Art of the Western World
60 min / color / 1989 / INT / VHS
High school through adult
The relationship between great moments in history and art is explored in this series, which is hosted by historian Michael Wood. Wood’s infectious enthusiasm reflects the excitement of discovery as he probes the lives, times, and works of some of the world’s greatest artists. (Note: Each 60-minute tape contains two 30-minute programs.)

1. The Classical Ideal           AWW-1
Part One: Examples of sculpture and architecture are discussed in tracing the origins of the classical style and its companion philosophy, humanism, to their origins in ancient Greece. Part Two: The many contributions and innovations of the Romans included architectural developments such as the arch and the dome, which were made possible by the development of concrete. The Roman Imperial portrait style as an expression of Roman power is also analyzed.

2. A White Garment of Churches           AWW-2
Part One: After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Church became a leading power in the western world, and Romanesque architecture reached its peak. The sculpture created by Giselbertus for the church of St. Lazare is presented as a crowning achievement of Romanesque art. Part Two: The birth of Gothic architecture is traced to the choir of the Abbey Church of St. Denis. Chartres, one of the most celebrated High Gothic cathedrals, is presented as a microcosm of the Gothic world.

3. The Early Renaissance           AWW-3
Part One: Florence, the leader of the early Renaissance in Italy, was the home of such luminaries as Filippo Brunelleschi, Masaccio (Tommaso Guidi), Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Sandro Botticelli. They formulated the artistic foundations of the new humanism and classicism. Part Two: Inspired by the introduction of oil paint, Flemish masters challenged the artistic pre-eminence of the Florentines. The minute details and vibrant colors of the Flemish masters are represented in the works of Jan van Eyck. The Reformation in the North is foreshadowed by the manneristic contortions of Matthias Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece.

4. The High Renaissance           AWW-4
Part One: Three great innovators of the Renaissance are compared: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarotti, and Raphael Sanzio. Their remarkable capacities to excel in a variety of media helped to elevate the status of artists in Italian society. Part Two: The Renaissance in Venice was led by the brilliant colorist Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) and the pious Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti). This segment discusses the mastery of Titian’s sensuous nudes and the opposing force of Tintoretto’s religious fervor. The concept of reason ruling passion is represented by architect Andrea Palladio.

5. Realms of Light: The Baroque           AWW-5
Part One: In order to fight the Reformation, the Catholic Church patronized sculptors such as Gianlorenzo Bernini, whose Ecstacy of St. Theresa was intended to inspire religious fervor. The painter Michelangelo Caravaggio also inspired worshippers with dramatic paintings such as The Calling of St. Matthew. Part Two: With growing wealth in the Netherlands and Spain came middle class patronage of the arts. The works of Rembrandt van Rijn and Diego Velasquez represent the aesthetic, cultural, and artistic ideals of their respective cultures in the Netherlands and Spain.

6. An Age of Reason, an Age of Passion           AWW-6
Part One: After the death of the despotic Louis XIV, French aristocrats responded to the frivolous and licentious paintings of Rococco artists Antoine Watteau, Francois Boucher, and Jean-Honoré Fragonard. In the mid-18th century, as public unrest continued to spread in reaction to upper-class excesses, Classicism was selected to represent the high political ideals of the growing Republican movement and to be for France, as it was for ancient Greece, the “art of a free people.” Part Two: In an attempt to reintroduce individualism, Romantic painters experimented with a variety of subjects and styles. Paintings such as Fransisco Goya’s Third of May, and Théodore Géricault’s Raft of the Medusa introduced the journalistic capabilities of art, challenging the dominance of the French Academy and Neoclassicists.

7. A Fresh View-Impressionism and Post-Impressionism           AWW-7
Part One: The advent of scientific exploration of light heralded the beginning of Impressionism, and the first serious challenge to the French Academy by Gustav Courbet and his followers. At first rejected, the Impressionists held their own salon and formulated their own themes and techniques for representing a colorful and light-filled world. Part Two: The foundations for modern art were laid by the Post-Impressionists, who searched for meaning beyond the Impressionist movement. Artists such as Georges Seurat, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Paul Cézanne redefined the use of color and form.

8. Into the Twentieth Century           AWW-8
Part One: The years preceding World War I were a dynamic time; Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque developed Cubism, while Henri Matisse and the Fauves, Wassily Kandinsky, and others experimented with color. Part Two: The effects of Modernism on the development of artistic styles were many-faceted. Charles Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright applied abstract concepts to architecture. Dada was a reaction to the devastation of World War I, and Surrealism, led by artists such as Salvador Dali and Max Ernst, explored symbolism based on theories of the subconscious and the writings of Sigmund Freud.

9. In Our Own Time           AWW-9
Part One: The horrors of World War II caused many artists to emigrate from Europe to America, establishing New York as the world’s art center. Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning championed an energetic approach known as Action Painting, while Pop artists Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, and Roy Lichtenstein crossed the boundary between art and popular culture. Part Two: Host Michael Wood reviews major trends in the history of art, and projects how current artistic trends may develop in the future.

Art on Film/Film on Art
Varied times / color / 1992 /FI / VHS
High school through adult
This anthology-made by collaborating teams of international filmmakers and renowned art experts-includes 14 unique and exciting productions to explore and expand the cinematic vocabulary of films on art. The series seeks to stimulate discussion and debate, both of the films themselves and the broader issues involved in interpreting works of art on film and video. Each program includes a lively conversation between art experts and filmmakers on the main theme that unites each film/video.

1. Balance: Film/Art (60 min)           AFFA-1
This program presents 3 segments: The Fayum Portraits: Funerary Painting of Roman Egypt, featuring multiple soundtracks that place the portraits in their historical setting; 1867, a short dramatic film evoking Edouard Manet’s studio and the events of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico’s execution to illuminate the creative process through the eyes of the painter; and Ma: Space/Time in the Garden of Ryoan-Ji, in which slow-moving images of the 16th-century stone garden of the Zen Buddhist monastery of Ryoan-ji in Kyoto, Japan, are intercut with poetic reflections by noted Japanese architect Arata Isozaki.

2. Film Sense/Art Sense (60 min)           AFFA-2
These segments explore the different interpretations of an artwork: Giorgione’s “Tempest”: The First Romantic Picture, evokes the painting’s mood and atmosphere, using special effects to make the many conflicting interpretations accessible to modern audiences; Trevi questions the relationship between the intended meaning of a work of art and the meanings that are ascribed to it over time; and A Window to Heaven explores the parallels between media messages of today and the cave messages of the 13th century.

3. Film Form/Art Form (60 min)           AFFA-3
This program includes the following: Leonardo’s “Deluge,” a study of the symbolic significance of 11 small drawings created by Leonardo da Vinci; A Mosque in Time, in which layered images and split screens are used to explore the architecture and forms of Islamic and Christian ornament that intertwine these 2 cultures; and Sainte-Genevieve, the Pantheon of Domes, featuring a discussion of this 18th-century Parisian church and its place in architectural history.

4. Film Voice/Art Voice (60 min)           AFFA-4
De Artificiali Perspectiva or Anamorphosis uses sophisticated animation techniques to clarify the artistic phenomenon of images hidden by distortion; Architecture of Transcendence explores the Gothic cathedral in Beauvais, France, with emphasis on the imagery of the stained glass windows; and Painted Earth: The Art of the Mimbres Indians examines the aesthetic aspects of the painted pottery bowls of this Native American people who lived 1,000 years ago.

5. Film/Art: Subject and Expert (100 min)           AFFA-5
Gombrich Themes: 1. Illumination in Art and Nature, 2. Reflection in Art and Nature is a 2-part discussion by renowned British art historian Sir Ernst Gombrich on the natural phenomenon of light and its representation in Western art; and A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth is an examination by artist David Hockney on the depiction of space and perspective in Chinese art and how Western perspective influenced this depiction in the 18th century.

Artful History: A Restoration Comedy           WA-324
28 min / color / 1988 / FRI / VHS
High school through adult
Money to be gained plus art to be sold may, in some cases, equal disaster. Promised anonymity and disguise, a restorer’s assistant comes forward to reveal the tricks of shady “restorers,” including how to cut a masterpiece to make 4 paintings out of one, which parts to paint out in order to please a client, and how to make a picture “prettier.” This program is not a comedy at all but an alarming look at unscrupulous people in pursuit of financial gain.

The Artist Was a Woman           WA-168
54 min / color / 1980 / MTI /VHS/DVD
High school through adult
A beautifully crafted, enlightening look at women who are artists. Actress Jane Alexander narrates as the camera examines paintings created by women over the last 4 centuries. This social history was inspired by a pioneering exhibition organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Women Artists 1550-1950. Anecdotes and quotations by the artists and their contemporaries are woven into the narration, with commentaries by scholars, including noted feminist Germaine Greer.

Artists at Work           WA-152
35 min / color / 1981 / NDF, CRYS /VHS
Middle school through adult
The first film to focus on the federally funded arts program of Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” policy, Artists at Work shows the impact that New Deal projects had on American artists during the Depression years and presents a wide spectrum of their work. Alice Neel, Chaim Gross, Jacob Lawrence, Lee Krasner, James Brooks, Ilya Bolotowsky, Edward Laning, Joseph Delaney, Harry Gottlieb, and Joseph Solman appear in the film and talk about their experiences working under the WPA and other New Deal programs. The film combines rare archival film footage, photographs, and audio recordings to present a vivid picture of America in some of its darkest decades.

Artists in the Lab           ED-283
60 min / color / 1981 / TIMEL / 3/4"vc
High school through adult
At the New York Institute of Technology, where millions of dollars worth of equipment is available to computer artists, it is understood that computers do not create art but are yet another tool serving the human imagination. They are used to create graphics for television and animated environments for music videos, and to experiment with lasers and holography. We visit Stanford University, NASA, and artists’ studios in search of the many ways that computers are assisting in the creation of new audio-visual technologies and art forms. This program is recommended for classes in art and computer science.

Artists in Wonderland           WA-419
26 min / color/ 1993 / FFH / VHS
Middle school through adult
The world of art is one of the major areas being altered radically by the advent and wide-spread use of computers. For computer artists, keyboards and videotape are replacing palette and canvas to create an entirely new genre. This program examines this new world of computer imaging.

Artists’ Techniques           MAM-2
23 min / color / 1982 / RC / VHS
High school through adult
Keeping in mind that works of art are often determined by materials available, this film examines one painting of each of five prominent Impressionists to determine their application of paint, use of color, brushwork, and light. The five artists are Cézanne, Gleyre, Manet, Monet, and Renoir.

Arts Alive!
Varied times; see below / color / 1984 / AIT / VHS
Middle through high school
Arts Alive!, produced by the Agency for Instructional Television, is a comprehensive series of 15-minute segments designed to help students understand, appreciate, and respond to the arts. Each segment uses dramatic re-creations of classroom workshops and activities to introduce aspects of the visual arts, drama, music, and dance. The activities are combined with interviews of artists who specialize in the particular art forms addressed in that segment.

Tape 1           AA-1
Alive with the Arts (30 min)-introduces the arts as a unique human expression and an integral part of life. Guests include composer-performer Paul Dresher and sand sculptor Kali Bradford. This segment contains scenes from a traditional Christmas play performed in a Spanish mission by El Teatro Campesino.

Tape 2           AA-2
Part One: Elements of the Visual Arts (15 min)-illustrates four of the key elements of the visual arts: color, line, shape, and texture. Students create illustrations for a medieval book. Artist-illustrator David Macaulay discusses the use of these elements in his work.
Part Two: Creating with the Visual Arts (15 min)-explains a project in which students consider their feelings about a selected subject, make preliminary sketches, select a medium that best expresses their feelings, and execute a final work. A sample workshop follows the process of creating a block-print. Guest artists include Jon Lomberg, who specializes in writing and images of outer space, and Patricia Renick who creates large-scale sculpture.
Part Three: Elements of Drama (15 min)-introduces use of the “actor’s tools”-voice and movement. Students rehearse for an exerpt from The Diary of Anne Frank. Members of the Variety Arts Radio Theater show how actors use only voice to portray characters, and mime artist Bert Houle demonstrates the use of dramatic movement to illustrate a character.
Part Four: Creating Theater (15 min)-illustrates the process of creating theater, from script-writing to performance. A young actress playing the lead in a Seattle Children’s Theater production encounters the scriptwriter, director, lighting crew, and others who are working on the play.

Tape 3           AA-3
Part One: Elements of Dance (15 min)-discusses 3 elements of movement: time, space, and energy. Scenes of students creating dance movements based on everyday activities are interspersed with scenes of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company creating a new work.
Part Two: Creating Dance (15 min)-introduces choreography and the creation of a student dance from concept to performance. Dancer/choreographer Betsy Blair discusses her work Dolls, and Frank Holder teaches his dancers how to perform his latest ballet.
Part Three: Elements of Music (15 min)-illustrates 3 basic elements of music: rhythm, melody, and harmony. Sound engineer and composer Freddie Perren is featured.
Part Four: Creating Music (15 min)-shows the process of composing music by following members of a teen band as they try to write a new piece for a dance. Classical composer Denise Ondishko discusses the creation of music based on existing melodies and themes, and David Shire creates a work about expectant parents.

Tape 4           AA-4
Part One: Arts and Self-Expression (15 min)-demonstrates how artists’ feelings, experiences, and ideas are expressed in their work. The segment focuses on a student photography project, and features Japanese-American performer Nobuko Miyamoto, who discusses how her heritage is expressed in her work.
Part Two: Arts and Social Messages (15 min)-shows how the arts are used to convey powerful messages intended to influence human behavior. The segment includes a performance and interview with Phillip Walker, who tours with his one-man play about African-American heritage.
Part Three: Arts and Technology (15 min)-discusses how electronic technology is used in the creation of art. Laser light, electronic music, photography, and computer-generated images are included. Computer artist Saul Bernstein shows how the computer has impacted the visual arts, George Aguirre modifies photographs with a laser beam, and Marisa Montelibano shows how she composes on a synthesizer.
Part Four: Arts and Work (15 min)-shows that there are many occupations for which artistic skills and abilities are helpful or necessary, such as the performing and applied arts, business, and education. Lawyer Michele Clark discusses her work in the music industry.

Arts and You(th)
15 min each / color / 1993 / FFH / VHS
Middle school through adult
In this series of short documentary programs, young artists talk about why the arts are a vital part of education and life. Each student has found a means of expression and a sense of achievement through involvement in the arts. The programs seek to inspire all students to take an interest in arts and to use the arts to develop skills in other curriculum areas.

1. Singing, Dancing, Art           AY-1
A dynamic music program at her school convinced singer and musician Tanya Smith that she should pursue her ambition to become a professional vocalist. Neil Minor conveys confidence and enthusiasm gained through drama as he prepares for a career in acting. Raquel Madahbee finds relaxation and self-expression through her evocative artwork, which includes elements of storytelling, fantasy, and fashion design.

2. Jazz, Performing Arts, Painting           AY-2
Michael Doherty, a classically trained pianist, finds freedom and challenge in his high school stage band and jazz combo. Bianca Spence’s dedication and talent as a dancer, singer, and actress shine as she performs in her school’s production of a rock opera. Kris Pearn’s rural home life and his love of sports are the inspiration for his wonderfully lifelike paintings.

3. Art and Dance           AY-3
Through studying art, Judy Cheung has developed a love of nature and a concern for the environment that are reflected in her paintings. Rick Benedict studies dance in school, choreographs his own routines, and teaches dancing to children. Cyrus Hogg combines his fascination with computers and his commitment to environmental issues in his imaginative artwork.

Arts of the East: China, Japan, India, Tibet           OA-29
23 min / color / 1994 / Lucerne / VHS
Elementary school through adult
In this intriguing video, viewers travel from China to Tibet and into India to see major works of art and architecture in their original settings, along with art from private collections. In Kyoto, Japan, we see how the assimilated influences from China and India are synthesized into a totally unique Japanese art. Key features of each major school of art are explained, and viewers learn how the religion of each region influences the works.

At Your Fingertips
10 min each / color / 1969 / AIMS / VHS
Elementary through middle school
In this unique series of 6 video programs, young children are shown how to make toys, models, and unusual gifts from everyday materials. Each program is short enough to be shown in conjunction with a specific classroom activity.

1. Boxes           AYF-1
Boxes that once held household items can be painted or covered with paper, used as blocks, or made into trains, animals, and masks. Big cartons can become moving vans that deliver furniture to a playhouse, or even the house itself!

2. Cylinders           AYF-2
Using cylindrical-shaped objects made of cardboard, children demonstrate how to make toys, totem poles, rockets, and even a planetarium.

3. Grasses           AYF-3
Grass is recognized in its different forms, and is used to make imprints and rubbings as well as decorate boxes, sculptures, masks, and headdresses. Methods of braiding and weaving are demonstrated.

4. Floats           AYF-4
After exploring what things float and why, children make their own floating playthings. Milk cartons, plastic and Styrofoam cups and trays, and wooden sticks are fashioned into paddle boats, sailboats, and rafts. A bowl of water becomes an indoor lake for nutshell and eggshell sailboats.

5. Play Clay           AYF-5
Flour, salt, and water are combined with food coloring or tempera paint to make a colorful, pliable dough that can be modeled like clay. Children demonstrate how to make animal figures, jewelry, and other forms.

6. Sugar and Spice           AYF-6
Attractive party decorations and holiday ornaments are made by mixing sugar with a little water and some food coloring. The mixture is formed in molds or squeezed out of a pastry tube to yield objects such as candleholders, a centerpiece with a design of fish and shells, Easter eggs, a snowman, and Christmas-tree ornaments.

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