Giambattista TIEPOLO<br/> <em>The Banquet of Cleopatra</em> (1743-1744) <!-- (recto) --><br /> oil on canvas<br /> 250.3 x 357.0 cm<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Felton Bequest, 1933<br /> 103-4<br /> <!--4409-->
Art Start

Art Activities – Explore the NGV

NGV Collection

Creative Curating

Project objective: to develop an understanding of concepts and processes involved in curating collections and exhibitions.

Teacher Notes

The collection and exhibition aspect of this project could be done digitally and presented as a PowerPoint, or using postcards or other printed images arranged on a poster. Students could consider using artworks from the NGV Art Start image bank or NGV Collection.
Please ensure students follow copyright guidelines.

Classroom Project

Create a collection of at least 20 artworks that interest you. Decide on the criteria for your collection – does it focus on the art of a particular culture, time or a specific art form?

Identify an interesting idea or sub-theme that links at least 5-6 artworks in the collection.

Curate a small display of these 5-6 artworks related to this sub-theme or story. Consider how you will arrange and present the artworks to help an audience understand the idea or theme behind your exhibition and to create a visually interesting display.

Think of a title for your exhibition.

Create a catalogue for your exhibition that includes:

  • Several paragraphs introducing the main idea or theme of your exhibition
  • A checklist of all the artworks with information about each artwork presented in a consistent format. Look at the type of information that a gallery presents with artworks to help you decide what information should be presented about each artwork.
  • A short paragraph about each artwork linking it to the main idea or theme of the exhibition.

Curious about Collecting

Activity objective: to encourage thinking about collecting by creating a connection between the collection of the NGV and collections in other contexts.

Teacher Notes

This activity could be done as a class activity with a collector speaking to a class group, or with individual or small groups of students interviewing different collectors and reporting their findings back to the class.

Classroom Activity

Find someone who is serious about collecting. The collection could be anything – action figures, clocks, football cards, or online music.
Ask them the following about their collection:

  • What is in this collection (size of collection, type of objects collected)?
  • How do you acquire the objects? Where do they come from?
  • How do you decide what to collect? What research do you do?
  • How do you organise or create order in your collection?
  • Are the objects displayed, used or in storage? Why?
  • Do the objects require special care while on display, in storage or use? Why?
  • What sort of records or documentation do you keep about the collection?
  • What plans do you have for the collection in the future?

Consider how the collection/collecting activities of this individual collector might relate to the collection/collecting activities of the NGV. Identify at least four or five areas of similarity or difference between the collection/activities of this collector and the NGV.

A graphic organiser such as a Venn Diagram or an Affinity Diagram could be used to organise ideas.

Information and Resources

Victorian Essential Learning Standards Venn Diagram – graphic organiser
Victorian Essential Learning Standards Affinity Diagram – graphic organiser

Explore NGV - A KWLH activity

Activity objective: to create a record of your thinking and learning during activities/projects related to Explore the NGV.

Teacher Notes

The first two steps, K and W, should be done before any Explore NGV discussion or activities.
The next steps, L and H, should be completed at the conclusion of activities/projects related to the topic.

Classroom Discussion

K – What do I know about the NGV?
W – What do I want to know about the NGV?
L – What have I learnt about the NGV?
H – How did I learn about the NGV?

Information and Resources

Victorian Essential Learning Standards KLWH template

Making a Connection

Activity objective: to encourage thinking and communication about creative connections between artworks.

Classroom Activity

Choose an artwork that interests you from the NGV Art Start – Image bank

Investigate this artwork using the Art Start model for investigating art.

Now identify another artwork from the NGV Collection that you think makes an interesting connection with the first artwork. It could be that each takes a different approach to the same subject, or that there is some other strong connection between the works.

Create a short presentation (written or spoken) introducing the two artworks and explaining the connection you are making between the two artworks.

The Art and Science of Conservation

Project objective: to encourage thinking about connections between art conservation and science and to develop communication skills.

Classroom Project

Review the resources provided in <Explore the NGV – Conservation>, including links to newspaper articles about art conservation, and NGV media releases.  Identify different ways that journalists create interest in stories about art conservation.

Write your own article for a newspaper with the headline ‘The art and science of conservation’.

Select the section of the newspaper to which you will submit your article – you could write it for the general news, the art or science section.

Consider how you will write to inform and interest your reader.

Include in your article reference to at least one NGV art conservation project to demonstrate how conservators draw on scientific knowledge in their work with art.

The Role and Purpose of an Art Gallery