Alameda Park, Mexico City

The very first Exhibit created for Teacher's Discovery featured Mexico's Muralist, Diego Rivera. The featured mural: A Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park. We knew it was beautiful, colorful and loaded with symbolism. But, we were never able to find all of the messages left by Rivera in this masterpiece ... until now.
I recently attended a trade show in Mexico City. Having one extra day in the itinerary, I knew I had to see this mural in person. Originally displayed in the Hotel del Prado on Alameda Park; the building was pulled down after being damaged in the earthquake of 1985. Fortunately, the 50 foot long mural was salvaged and placed in its own museum. The small museum faces Alameda Park, Mexico City's first city park that was built on the grounds of an ancient Aztec marketplace. You can almost feel the electric energy of the park, the history, the people that enjoy it today.
The cost to enter the museum was 15 pesos, less than $1.50. To take photos inside (no flash, please), pay an additional 50 cents.
I paid and entered with anticipation.
I have seen our exhibit countless times. I have hung them, rolled them, ironed them, studied them. I was not prepared for the real thing. The composition is masterful. The color vibrant. The brushstrokes took my breath away. And as I stood back to take it in, a glanced down and saw it. The chart that describes all of the symbolism intended by Rivera, a lesson in Mexican history. I photographed the entire thing and we are busy putting it in an easy-to-download document for you to share with your audience. It will be available soon on our Diego Rivera page.
Your welcome.

Art and Love

Love is in the air ...
Valentine's Day is just a couple weeks away. Stores are awash in the pink and red glow of Valentine's goodies. But beyond candy hearts, Valentine's Day represents true, romantic love. Countless images of romance can be found in great art. But the all time most romantic image in art has to be The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. Challenge your students to find great expressions of love in art, or better yet, challenge them to create their own!

The Gift of Inspiration!

No doubt about it, this is a busy time of year. Personally, many of us are preparing for the holidays, cooking and baking, decorating and shopping. I'm sure our teachers out there are experiencing the growing excitement from students and fellow teachers, anticipating holiday excitement and ... ahhh ... a few days off!
With this in mind, we planned for fewer calls for exhibits and art products, at least for a couple weeks. But, as has happened so many times with Traveling Exhibits, we underestimated the interest and demand. Calls continue to come in, in fact last week was a record for December. And so we ask, why? We know the value of each exhibit, we appreciate how important the experience can be. And now, we can say with absolute certainty, teachers, librarians, parent groups and art foundations see it, too.
The gift of inspiration...
There is no more valuable or lasting gift, than the gift of inspiration. Our exhibits featuring artists not only showcase the art, we show it big. This decision has been questioned occasionally, some feel the value of authentic size is greater. All I have to say is to look at our panel of van Gogh's Cafe-terrace at Night (Place du forum in Arles) in which you can SEE each brushstroke and glimse the genius that was van Gogh. Now that is inspiration.
We go on to present each artist, not as a biography, but as the story of a real person who lived and breathed and had the flaws that make us human. Escher was not a great math student? Hard to believe, but I know there are lots of kids out there that can relate. Hokusai was eccentric? That's an understatement, but how many of our students out there fall out of the small box called "normal?" Seeing how real, less than perfect individuals could create art that the world treasures, now that is inspiration.
Standing together, students and teachers, side by side and experiencing art, talking about it, even touching it,
now that is inspiration.
What started as a new product a few years ago at Teacher's Discovery has taken on a life of it's own, and we look forward to 2009 with the goal of inspiring more children and more adults. We will help you find more funding options and the opportunity to bring more exhibits to your school or library. We will be unveiling our new series of exhibits, another way to truly inspire all who view them. A sincere, heart-felt thank you to everyone who has helped host an exhibit, your number is growing and growing.
And, an invitation to all of you who have yet to host ...
the gift of inspiration, the year-round gift, is in your reach. Visit our site, give us a call, see why, even during the busy holiday season, our phone is ringing like crazy!

An Actual E-conversation

Teacher from New Jersey:
I received it (the exhibit) this morning! I'm too afraid to open the box because I want it so badly to meet all of my expectations!

Lisa (our Traveling Exhibits coordinator):
Open it! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Teacher:
I cannot tell you how wonderful the exhibit was and how it brought our walls to life! you were so right about everything!!!! The teachers embraced it and the children, even as young as they are, really understood the concept ...
This is such a wonderful concept and I wish you and your company nothing but success!
You'll be hearing from us in the spring. We're looking at Monet!

The moral of the story: sometimes, even if it seems too good to be true, it can be true! Check out all our beautiful exhibits. We promise, you won't be disappointed!

Google celebrates Magritte!

I love Google, who doesn't? But I especially love when they subtly change the famous Google icon to celebrate something. Today, Google celebrates Rene Magritte, the painter from Belgium who gave us some of the most interesting and mysterious paintings of the 20th century. Today, Rene Magritte would have been 110.
The 20th century gave us many memorable works of art, Picasso and Dali, Warhol and Pollock. But the work of Magritte stands alone in it's originality and dream-like quality.
Traveling Exhibits does not have a Magritte Exhibit (yet!) but we have a wonderful Prestel book called Now You See It-Now You Don't about Magritte. Hardcover, 28 pages, beautiful book. I like to think of this series from Prestel as simple, not simplistic. A wonderful overview and interesting story.
We also created a fun computer games to reinforce art history called 20th Century Art Challenge Game. Just $29.99, it will be available Dec. 12, pre-orders are welcome.
Has anyone noticed that the advertisement for the ABC television series called Eli Stone looked similar to...




credits:
Son Of Man, 1964, Collection of Harry Torcyzner, Mohegan Lake, New York
Google
ABC Television

Escher in Ohio!

Thank you to Linda in Ohio for sharing these wonderful photos! She rented the Escher Exhibit and her students, in fact the entire school, loved it!
A Traveling Exhibit is a fabulous centerpiece for any lesson. The Escher Exhibit is unique because of the wonderful opportunity to cross curriculum with math and art. Students and staff alike are fascinated when they can see the minute detail of these amazing drawings and prints. When students and staff can stand together and discover the intricacies, discuss and share about it--magic happens.
Bring the magic to your school-just give us a call!
(248)276-4913

Our Own Catrina

La Calavera de la Catrina was a 1913 zinc etching by Mexican printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada. As you may know, it was the etchings of Posada that inspired Diego Rivera. In the Rivera Exhibit that features A Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Park, you can see Catrina front and center.
Our own Traveling Exhibits coordinator, Lisa, paid homage by creating this fabulous costume for our annual Halloween party.
She won first place in the costume contest (of course)!
As you celebrate Día de los Muertos, you may want to share this picture of Lisa-Catrina with your students!