Junior Docent School Program - Milwaukee Art Museum

“This type of sculpture is called an assemblage. What did this artist assemble to create
this figure?” Talk about how each one would feel. “Would the artist have been working
with the clay when it was wet or dry? What difference would that make in how it would
feel? How tall might this horse be if it could stand up?”
Hansen, Duane, The Janitor
Make use of texture boards, fabric swatches, or texture bags for the students to
experience various textures seen in this figure.
Parker, Cornelia, Edge of England
Chalk in the classroom is something that students can relate to. Have pieces of chalk for
them to feel. “Is it heavy? Is it light? Imagine cliffs higher than this room, along a wide
channel of water – what would it be like to see such a cliff fall down?”
Chihuly, Dale, Lavendar Pink Macchia Set
“Where did this artist get his ideas for making this piece?” (sea/water/ocean/beach)
Have some seashells available for the students to touch. “Do you think that the real and
the glass shell will feel the same or different?”
How Would it Smell?
Cusati, Gaetano, Still Life with Fish
“Who has been fishing? Who has been to the beach? What do things that live in the
water smell like after they are taken out of the water? Ooooooh – could this be a very
smelly painting?”
Van Os, Jan, Flowers in a Terra-cotta Vase
“Do all flowers smell the same? If you‟re not sure, start smelling flowers whenever you
can – you will find that they may smell sweet/spicy/musty/ bad and some may not smell
at all! Try it. Insects and birds love flowers. Why is this so? What insects/animals can
you find in this painting?” (Don‟t forget the snail!)
Fragonard, Honore, The Shepherdess
“How do flowers/sheep/grass smell on a warm, summer day? How do they feel?” Make
use of texture boards and/or fabric swatches for the students to experience various
textures.
How Would it Taste?
Thiebaud, Wayne, Refrigerator Pies
“What kind of pie do you like? How does it taste? These pies are in a refrigerator – what
does that tell you about them? How would they feel in your mouth? Would it make a
difference in the overall effect if the artist had shown us only one piece of pie rather than
repeating the design?”
Zorach, William, Child Drinking
“Hmm – wouldn‟t you like to feel this sculpture? We can‟t do that, but you can remember
what the marble in the Calatrava building addition felt like – sleek and smooth and cool.
This marble would feel the same way. What is the baby drinking? How would it taste?”
English/Chinese, Tea Pot Collection
“Do all these teapots look the same? No, they don‟t, and all teas don‟t taste the same,
either. Have you ever tasted tea? Some people drink tea with cream and sugar in it. How
would it taste then? Some people like it with lemon in it. Would that change the taste?
Some teas are made with herbs – they can have a very fruity taste. Is teas always
served hot? How else can you have it?”
American Silver, Porringer Collection
“What could you eat from this sort of container? (soup, dessert, cereal, etc.) That‟s right
– but this type of dish is called a porringer. Remember the story of the “The Three
Bears”? What did Goldilocks eat out of Baby Bear‟s bowl? Porridge! That‟s where the
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JDSP – Docent Packet