Enjoy a Take and Make activity! These printable art activities relate to an object or collection at VMFA.
Here you will find links to all of the Family Art Activities featured in VMFA’s member’s magazine. Enjoy! What is a Sculpture New Years Fun
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Designer Yves Saint Laurent was influenced by art of all styles and periods. He admired contemporary artists, found ideas from art history books, and collected all types of art. He drew from these influences to perfect his own designs. Use this guide and map to find works of art in VMFA’s galleries that closely mirror…
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Elephants are associated in India with clouds and life-giving rain. Elephants not only symbolize nourishment provided by water, but they are also associated with order and protection. Create and decorate your own elephant.
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Like most societies, ancient Greeks used clay as a cheap and durable material to make plates, cups, pitchers, bowls, and storage vessels. The fanciest vessels were decorated with pictures of gods, heroes, animals, and daily life. Many of these pots were practical, but they were often discarded, lost, or placed in tombs as grave offerings. Centuries later, when archaeologists—people who study past cultures and civilizations—find these pots, they are often broken into fragments and missing parts. Through careful study and patience, many of the pots can be reassembled, allowing archaeologists and other scholars to learn more about how the ancient Greeks lived and what they believed.
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When Chihuly couldn’t think of a name for his spotted artworks, he called his friend Italian artist Italo Scanga and asked what the Italian word for spot was. That’s how macchia got its name! Create your own colorful paper macchia design.
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The Yoruba (yoroo-BUH) Egúngún (eh-goon-goon) masquerade is a festival that celebrates ancestors.
Ancestors are the people in your family who lived long ago. During these celebrations, dancers wear masks and perform to honor those who are no longer physically present. We think of masks as objects that cover faces only, but Egúngún masks—like many African masks—cover the dancers’ entire bodies. Egúngún masks are made out of many layers of fabric. Different generations of family members add more fabric to the mask to create the layering effect. During ceremonial dances, as the dancer spins, strips of fabric fly out dramatically representing the return of the ancestral spirits to the living community.
Septimius Severus was born in North Africa around 145 CE and became emperor of Rome from 193–
211 CE. In 1967, VMFA bought a sculpture of Septimius Severus, and over the years, people began to wonder if the sculpture was entirely ancient. In 2008, scholars began to study the sculpture more closely and performed scientific tests to learn when the sculpture was made. These studies proved that the statue’s torso, upper legs and head were sculpted in ancient times, but the other parts were carved and added in the 1600s. Today, the statue of the emperor looks like it did in the 1600s.
Celebrate the art of China. In Chinese and other Asian cultures, red envelopes are given during holiday gatherings for the Lunar New Year as well as for birthdays, weddings, and graduations. Make your own red envelope to give to a friend or family member.
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The ancient Maya people had a writing system made up of over 500 different hieroglyphs and often drew stories on clay vessels to decorate these useful objects. Use symbols to create your own story.
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Ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods. Often these deities were pictured as part animal–part human. Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing, was represented with the head of an ibis (a large water bird with a long curved beak). Print, make, wear your mask and have fun!
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