Make connections to contemporary works within the Museum’s Collection. Visit Gallery 20, where you will find works identified as New…
Thomas Sully: Historical Connections
Study the relationships between the human forms in the Sully exhibition and the natural worlds in the landscapes from the…
Thomas Sully: Backdrop Design
Collect reproductions of your favorite band or team, and then cut out the individuals and arrange them so that they…
Thomas Sully: Backdrop Building
Create your own architectural setting for George Frederick Cooke in the Role of Richard III (1811–12). Have students research similar…
Thomas Sully: Literature Connection
Look through picture books or read chapters from the books featured in portraits in the exhibition (e.g., Cinderella, Little Red…
Thomas Sully: The Great Debate
Historians continue to debate the merits of the decisions and actions taken by President Andrew Jackson during his two terms…
Thomas Sully: Glossary
Aesthetic: A philosophy, study, or conception of what is artistically beautiful and as such enlivens the senses. Allegory: A representation…
Symbolic Portraiture
Artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Hammons use abstract images or found objects (instead of realistic images) to make…
Quotables: Respond and React
After viewing the exhibition with your students, use the quotes below by artists represented in 30 Americans as primary sources…
Artwork Ambassador
To help students get to know some of the artists and empower them to explore the exhibition, this activity has…
Multimedia and Further Resources
General Exhibition Information Find information on the exhibitions and brief artist biographies, as well as other educator resources, below. 30…
Wisconsin 30: Exhibition Information and Discussion Prompts
To connect 30 Americans with Wisconsin’s own strong art community, the parallel exhibition in the Schroeder (west) Galleria features work…