Fun for All Ages with the National Gallery of Art’s Art Zone

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. is renowned for its collection, as we’re all aware. But there’s now even more to be excited about, both inside and outside the museum. Our Head Director of the Art Docent Program, … Continued

Exploring Laguna Beach’s Festival of the Arts

We’ve explored the Pageant of the Masters here at the Art Docent Program blog, but we’ve never dove into its sister event, the Festival of the Arts. The two events occur at the same complex in Laguna Beach, with the … Continued

Audubon’s “Birds of America” Illustrations are Now Online

As the world becomes progressively more digital, we here at the Art Docent Program have been covering more and more stories about art going digital. Collections at places like the Met are now available online, and Google Maps even has … Continued

High Art on Lowriders at the Petersen’s Latest Exhibit

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is celebrating unique pieces of high art on what might at first seem like unlikely canvases: lowrider cars. Opened last month, The High Art of Riding Low: Ranflas, Corazón e Inspiración  is currently … Continued

Art Shop: Do Art-Inspired Items Add or Detract from the Work?

So you can’t own your own piece by Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, or Vincent Van Gogh: that seems to be a right reserved for today’s elite. But what if you could own a piece that’s straight out of your favorite … Continued

Dynamic Duo: Klimt & Rodin Take San Francisco

The works of Gustav Klimt, in all their gilded glory, are coming to the Bay Area en masse for the first time. But they won’t be alone. Works by the artist best known as a “Vienna Secessionist” will join many … Continued

Still Life Paintings: The Original #Foodstagrams

Still life paintings were one of the most popular genres of the 17th century and have only grown in popularity since. The sheer amount of still life paintings produced in the Low Countries (present-day Netherlands, Belgium, etc.) numbers to hundreds … Continued

You Can Add to this Library of Sketchbooks

The phrase “The Sketchbook Library” sounds like a book title (specifically, the next big Elizabeth Kostova [or, if you imagined hard, possibly Dan Brown] novel. Honestly, it doesn’t matter–either one of those would make for an awesome read.) But for … Continued

Exploring Museums Online with Google Maps: Cheap Summer Fun

Looking to visit a world-class museum this summer with the family, but halted as soon as you saw the airfare prices? We’ve all been there. International, and at this point even domestic, travel comes with a huge price tag, especially … Continued

Down to the (Humidifier’s) Wire at The Crocker

You remember humidifiers, right? It turns out that those sometimes-loud machines your parents would put in your room whenever you were overcome with a cold as a kid are critical to helping museums function. Humidifiers and climate-control systems are key … Continued