Madame du Barry, the mistress of the French King Louis XV, divided opinion in the court at the Palace of Versailles during the later 18th century. In part three of this four-part series, learners will hear about how her kindness won her...

Highlights: The Making of An Art Capital.

Dubious of performance art? Break into a cold sweat when you realize it’s about to begin? There’s a reason. Here we present you with a brief history of performance art and attempt to sway you to its potential charms.

One of the most popular reasons for the worldwide appeal of the Mona Lisa is her smile. Da Vinci used optical illusion to create a unique smile through perspective and shadow work. He painted the Mona Lisa in such a way that the eyes of...

The city of Florence set a goal so ambitious that they needed to transform their city in order to accomplish it. This is the story of the Florence Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore.

Artists have abandoned artworks for many reasons throughout history. Guest host John Green shares some of his favorite unfinished artworks and explains why they resonate with him so deeply. Featuring work by Michelangelo, Leonardo da...

Sikkel — who runs a marine laboratory at Arkansas State University — studies host-parasite-cleaner interactions on coral reefs, and the influences of changes in reef ecology triggered by climate change.



In addition to leading...

Public funding for the arts is a hotly-debated topic, but let's look at where arts funding goes, what it accomplishes, and how we compare internationally.

Scientists, tech experts, engineers, artists and mathematicians get excited when they think of good ideas and blend them with other ideas. In this activity, children will create a board game and work together to make it better.

The Art Assignment travels to New Orleans to meet with Tameka Norris, who makes art in a variety of media and often uses her body in her work. She challenges YOU to become someone else. Sarah then highlights Adrian Piper, who created an...

Jackson Pollock's paintings have a fractal quality to them. This video explores the reasons this may be so captivating.

Chinese contemporary art is being showcased at the Guggenheim museum in New York. Many of the artists have been banned from exhibiting in China, but their work gives a unique perspective on a country that censors cultural expression.

Fluxus was a network of artists who thought anything could be art, and anyone could be an artist. This video explores the food-related work of George Maciunas, Yoko Ono, and Alison Knowles, et al.

What's the point of making realistic paintings when photography can do the trick? We look at the history of artists recreating the world as we see it and ponder why it's still happening.

This video quickly reviews portraits by Pablo and Sandra Silberzweig, and then inspires students to create an abstract portrait that will be painted using various watercolor techniques. Check out my Watercolor Technique video for...

How do museums reflect on key cultural moments in our society? What are the challenges that curators face as they incorporate those interpretations into the museum-going experience?

When Banksy shredded his artwork the moment after it sold at auction, he left many questions unanswered. What are we to make of the stunt?

“Making a Great Exhibition” by Doro Globus and Rose Blake is a special book to inspire children to explore art galleries and museums as well as to MAKE ART! Thank you David Zwirner Books for the copy I read aloud in this video.

The history of the Florence Cathedral is the history of the Florence Renaissance

Thanks to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ambitious New Deal plan, American artists were able to keep working during the Great Depression. The work they produced remains a key part of the American landscape.

PBS Digital Studio's The Art Assignment asks what the title "curator" really means, both traditionally and as it is used today. Can you be a curator of vintage sneakers? Let's talk about it in the comments.

Do you question your ability to talk about art in a coherent way? Here are tips for how to sound like you understand art, even if you've never taken a class or set foot in a museum.

The Guerrilla Girls are asking, nay demanding, that we complain! But we must do so in ways unique and memorable. We met up with them in London at Tate Modern's new Tate Exchange space, where the Guerrilla Girls were in residence and...

Vincent van Gogh was a largely self-taught artist who didn’t pick up a paintbrush until he was 30 years old.



Just seven years later, he would

be dead.

It was really his last four years where he developed the...