What's New?

NGAkids STILL LIFE

Create an interactive Still Life that mirrors the paintings of the old masters. Mix everyday objects with elements borrowed from art in the National Gallery's collections. We have a few surprises in store for you in our (not so still) Still Life program. This Art Zone activity is suitable for all ages. (Shockwave, 8 mb) 




BRUSHster (Shockwave, 312k )
is an interactive painting machine that creates abstract art. Express yourself! Paint colorful abstractions or use the program to design your own note cards, wrapping paper, or screensaver art. The program has forty brushes and two dozen special effects, plus there's an AUTO button that makes BRUSHster fun for all ages.

Dutch Dollhouse Interactive (Shockwave, 4.6 MB)

A high-speed internet connection or preloading is recommended.

What's Happening?

If you're planning a visit, scroll down for a list of things to see and do at the Gallery. Program links will open in a new browser window.  

Download the most recent edition of the family activities quarterly.
(PDF, 313 k)

Visit the Family Activities page on our Web site.

Parents and teachers may wish to sign up for the mailing list or consult the Gallery's online Calendar of Events.

For up-to-date information on the current month’s films, please call the Children’s Film Program information line at (202) 789-3030 or read this list of scheduled Children's Films. No registration is required. Children’s film programs are shown in the East Building auditorium unless otherwise noted. Programs are free and are subject to change without notice. Seating is offered on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Searching for something?  

If you're looking for information about specific artists or works of art that are not mentioned in NGAkids, just search the collection.

You can learn about the history of the National Gallery of Art or read gallery guides in five languages. Your teachers will find interesting activities and lessons in the NGAClassroom section of our Web site. 

Paintings of the Dutch Golden Age (PDF, 6.8 MB), a free 165-page guide to 17th-century Dutch art is available in NGA Classroom.


 

There are many places on the main Web site to explore. You can always return to NGAkids by clicking the NGAkids text link or by returning HOME to start over. If you get lost while browsing, our direct address is http://www.nga.gov/kids.

The  Inside Scoop features paintings by Jasper Francis Cropsey. (PDF, 360k)  

Download more children's guides to the Gallery's permanent collections and special exhibitions in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. 

If you're planning a visit to the National Gallery of Art, be sure to download The Great Picture Hunt (PDF, 184 k). This kid-friendly map highlights 16 popular paintings in the West Building. Locations are subject to change and some featured works may not be on display when you visit.

Technical problems
If you're having trouble loading this page, your browser may need updating. Read this introduction to the NGAkids page. If you're having trouble opening links, check your browser settings to be sure Javascript is enabled. Finally, try the "low tech" version of this page.

Plug-ins
To view the Art Zone interactives you will need Adobe Shockwave Player, which also handles Flash content. QuickTime is used for several videos and animations.

Recommended Browsers

Mac OSX: Safari or Firefox 2

Windows: Explorer or Firefox 2

Firefox 3 is not fully compatible with Shockwave Player and Flash. This problem should be resolved in a future update, but for now we recommend Firefox 2.

You can test your browser to see if it's ready.

For more information about installing Shockwave Player, and to learn how to save the art you create online, visit the NGAkids HELP PAGE.

The links below will take you to the download sites for these popular browser plug-ins.

Visit the NGAkids Art Zone to make a still life of your own. Get Shockwave Player.

BRUSHster (Shockwave, 312 k) creates abstract art in many styles. The program is easy to use and fun for all ages. AUTO options offer interesting ideas for young artists, and advanced users can experiment with BRUSHster's customized tools to create sophisticated non-representational paintings. For a sample of what the program can do, here's a slideshow. Get Shockwave Player.
 

Paintings by well-known 17th-century artists spring to life as you mix and match colorful characters, create decorative objects, and explore the kitchen, living quarters, artist's studio, and courtyard of this interactive DUTCH DOLLHOUSE. (Shockwave, 4.6 MB) A high-speed Internet connection or preloading prior to play is recommended. This interactive is fun for all ages. Get Shockwave Player.

Create a tropical jungle filled with tigers, monkeys, and other exotic creatures. Inspired by the art of Henri Rousseau, NGAkids Jungle is an interactive art activity for children of all ages. (Shockwave, 930 k)Get Shockwave Player.

Create  a motion painting wtih Flow. Get Shockwave Player.

List of Current Exhibitions  on view at the National Gallery of Art

POMPEII AND THE ROMAN VILLA

Learn more about the exhibition Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples, on view at the National Gallery of Art through March 22, 2009.

View a QuickTime movie clip about Pompeii and the Roman Villa.

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Download a Discovery Guide for young audiences. (PDF, 1.4 MB)

In the first century BC, the Bay of Naples became a favorite retreat for vacationing emperors, senators, and other prominent Romans. They built lavish seaside villas in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius where they could indulge in absolute leisure, read and write, exercise, enjoy their gardens and the views, and entertain friends. The artists who flocked to the region to adorn the villas also created paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts for the residents of Pompeii and nearby towns. Pompeii and the Roman Villa presents some 150 works of sculpture, painting, mosaic, and luxury arts, including recent discoveries on view in the U.S. for the first time and celebrated finds from earlier excavations. Exquisite objects from the richly decorated villas reveal the breadth and richness of cultural and artistic life, as well as the influence of classical Greece on Roman art and culture in this region. The exhibition also focuses on the impact that the 18th-century excavations and rediscovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum had on the art and culture of the modern world.

GEORGE DE FOREST BRUSH

Learn about the exhibition George de Forest Brush: The Indian Paintings, on view at the National Gallery of Art  through January 4, 2009.

An Aztec Sculptor, 1887, Gift (Partial and Promised) of the Ann and Tom Barwick Family Collection

View a Flash presentation featuring highlights of the George de Forest Brush exhibition. 

Combining extraordinary technical skills acquired in Jean-Léon Gérôme’s studio in Paris with firsthand experience living among the Arapahoe, Shoshone, and Crow in Wyoming and Montana, George de Forest Brush (1854/1855–1941) created an important series of paintings of American Indians much celebrated by his contemporaries but rarely seen since. Completed during the 1880s, many of these works were quickly acquired by major American collectors and have remained in private hands through several generations. Of the twenty featured in this exhibition, several have only recently come to light. 

LEFT TO RIGHT: Leonardo da Vinci, Ginevra de' Benci, c. 1474/1478, oil on panel, National Gallery of Art, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund. Johannes Vermeer, A Lady Writing, c. 1665. oil on canvas, Gift of Harry Waldron Havemeyer and Horace Havemeyer, Jr., in memory of their father, Horace Havemeyer.  Pieter de Hooch, A Dutch Courtyard, 1658/1660, oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Andrew W. Mellon Collection

When you're looking at art online, it's hard to see the details. Try this. Click an image above or the "Zoom" links below for a closer look. 

Zoom  Learn about Ginevra de' Benci, the only portrait in America by Leonardo da Vinci.You can even see the fingerprints of the artist!
(Flash, 20 k) 

Zoom A Lady Writing is featured in a popular children's book about Johannes Vermeer. for a close look at the painting and other works by Vermeer. (Flash, 20 k) 

Zoom This 17th-century painting of a A Dutch Courtyard by de Hooch was the inspiration for the courtyard in our interactive Dutch House in the Art Zone. (Flash, 20 k)

Thanks for visiting NGAkids. Let us know what you think of the Gallery's Web site and tell us what else you'd like to see online. In accordance with the Gallery's privacy policy, we don't collect or share personal information about our visitors. We aren't able to answer letters from kids, but we'd enjoy hearing from you! Grown-ups are welcome to write, too, but tell them to be sure to include an e-mail address if they'd like a reply.

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