Research Guides: Intermediate Senior Visual Arts: Websites

Canadian Galleries

Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Collections>African>View Collections>Note the images with the 360 degree icon and select one>you can rotate the image 360 degrees and zoom in to great detail.
Agnes Teachers’ Resources
Teacher's Notes on Agnes exhibits.
AGO Teacher Resources
"Find resources and activities you can use in your classroom to help students build visual literacy and develop their skills in observation, interpretation, critical thinking and creativity" website
Art Gallery of Ontario
School Programs:
Learn, create, explore and be inspired through art.
The AGO offers great learning programs for students of all ages and professional development opportunities for teachers, including a collection of free downloadable materials with information about specific artists and special exhibitions.
Here educators can find news and information about pre- and post-visit activities for you and your class, details about how to book school visits to the AGO, as well as details about how to join our Teachers Access Program.
Decoding Photographs, By Laura McCoy, visual arts teacher
"Photographs are a useful primary source of information and can teach us a great deal about historical events. A photograph is a representation of something real; at the same time, it is something created by the photographer. It is never a neutral representation. A photograph reflects the codes, values, beliefs and culture of the photographer, as well as time during which it was created. The meaning we find in a photograph is similarly influenced by our culture, values and beliefs. When using a photograph for historical research, the viewer must take an active role in its interpretation. This is a decoding, rather than a passive act of looking." website
National Gallery of Canada (Resources for Teachers)

North American Sites

Barnes Foundation
Dr. Albert C. Barnes (1872–1951) was a friend and follower of John Dewey who believed that education was fundamental to democracy: he "chartered the Barnes Foundation in 1922 to teach people from all walks of life how to look at art. Over three decades, he collected some of the world’s most important impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern paintings, including works by Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso. He displayed them alongside African masks, native American jewelry, Greek antiquities, and decorative metalwork. Dr. Barnes believed passionately that art—like people—should not be segregated." website
Discover the Barnes Foundation Videos
"Check out talks from renowned art historians and curators about the art and artists in the collection and exhibitions. You'll also find heartwarming stories from Barnes students and excerpts from a Henri Matisse symposium held at the Barnes." website
National Gallery of Art (U.S.):
Lessons and Activities for K - University
National Gallery of Art
Teaching Units Online - Art Nouveau to Whistler
Canadian Women Artists History Initiative
"The database is intended to provide a research tool that brings together the growing body of literature about women artists who worked in Canada and who were born before 1925. " website
SFMOMA Teacher Resources
"We offer an array of educational resources for teachers to use in the classroom and the museum, including discussion questions for artworks, lesson plans, graphic organizers and worksheets, artist interviews, animations, and more." website
Girl Museum

Popular Art

Billboard 50 Best Album Covers
Music isn't just about the music. Sure, the sounds are certainly the most essential element, but you can't ignore the role of cover art in making a brilliant album. (website)
PBS Teachers
See Arts >> 9-12 >> Lesson Plans

Guerrilla Girls

GUERRILLA GIRLS
"The Guerrilla Girls are feminist activist artists. We wear gorilla masks in public and use facts, humor and outrageous visuals to expose gender and ethnic bias as well as corruption in politics, art, film, and pop culture. Our anonymity keeps the focus on the issues, and away from who we might be: we could be anyone and we are everywhere. We believe in an intersectional feminism that fights discrimination and supports human rights for all people and all genders." website

Canadian Facing History and Ourselves

Remembering Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirited People
An example of championing Social Justice through Art and Activism at St. Joseph’s College School in downtown Toronto .

Quick Links

Browse the Shelves Guide

The PJ Mode Collection

This is a collection of “persuasive” cartography: more than 800 maps intended primarily to influence opinions or beliefs - to send a message - rather than to communicate geographic information.

Many standard maps but also many fanciful images as well. Geographical Guide to a Man's Heart with Obstacles and Entrances Clearly Marked. Geographical Guide to a Woman's Heart Emphasizing Points of Interest to the Romantic Traveler.

David Rumsey Map Collection

The David Rumsey Map Collection contains more than 150,000 maps focused on rare 16th through 21st century maps of North and South America, as well as maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. See for example Mapping the Heavens, 1693 created by Ignace Gaston Pardies.

Google Arts and Culture

Google Arts and Culture allows you to "discover artworks, collections and stories from all around the world in a new way. Explore cultural treasures in extraordinary detail and easily share with your friends." (website)