Come sail with us on Sat., Sept. 17!

Gray tone oil painting of two ships with smoke and fire
Willem van de Velde the Younger, Sea Battle of the Anglo-Dutch Wars, ca. 1700, Oil on canvas, Yale Center for British Art

This weekend’s Exploring Artism at the Center will focus on creating your own “vessel” inspired by the naval and marine paintings on view in the third floor installation, Spreading Canvas: 18th-century British Marine Painting. There are still a few spots available so register now: contact Education (ycba.tours@yale.edu  | +1 203 432 2858) with your name, number, and a good time to reach you.

While the needs of individuals with autism are taken into account for the design of this program, it is also intended to be fun for parents, siblings, and other relatives too! Preregistration is required.

 

 

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Cretan Cats, Goats, and Flower Pots

parents and childrens painting flower pots around a table.
Parents and children painting flower pots around a table.

The June 18 Exploring Artism focused on a new art form –  designing and painting a flower pot! Participants learned about the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual Chelsea Flower Show and saw a lot of pictures of flower creations. Next we learned that the flower show inspired an art gallery owner to ask 58 artists to paint a flower pot. The Center has the flower pot that John Craxton painted and we looked at it together in the galleries.

Boy designing his flower pot.
Participant designing his flower pot.

First, everyone looked at John Craxton’s Goats and Flowers painting and discussed the colors and shapes. We then looked at Craxton’s Cretan Cats Flower Pot where they found and learned about kri-kri, cretan cats, and the island of Crete, the island where Craxton was living at the time he painted the flower pot.

Inspired by Crete’s wildlife as seen in Craxton’s works, everyone painted their very own flowerpot.

Kri-kri is a type of wild goat that lives on the island of Crete.
Kri-kri is a type of wild goat that lives on the island of Crete.
Cretan wildcats live on the island of Crete.
Cretan wildcats live on the island and are not friendly with people.

As well as where Crete is located and what plants grow there:

Map of Crete
Map of Crete

The next Exploring Artism at the YCBA is schedule for Saturday, Sept. 17. We hope everyone has a fun and relaxing summer!

It’s great to be back at the Center!

Participants passing around the Talk Star.
Participants passing around the Talk Star.

May 21 was the first Exploring Artism class at the reopened Yale Center for British Art. Returning families as well as a few new families enjoyed looking at artwork in the refreshed galleries. Together everyone looked closely at Rachel Whiteread’s plaster work, “Untitled, Ten Tables”. Back in the Docent Room, everyone made their own sculptures while paying attention to space and form.

Talking about form.
Talking about form.

June 18 is the next session of Exploring Artism at the YCBA. We look forward to seeing you there. To register: contact Education (ycba.tours@yale.edu (link sends e-mail) | +1 203 432 2858) with your name, number, and a good time to reach you.

ARTWORXX SUCCESS!

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Congratulations to the Artworxx artists for the success of their first showing of original artwork at the Yale Center for British Art’s Docent Room from May 15 -22. Over 250 people visited their “exhibition” throughout the week and the opening reception saw hundreds of friends, family, and museum visitors.

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Everyone is looking forward to creating more original artwork inspired by the Center’s collections later this summer and fall. To learn more about the Initiative for Girls and Women with Autism Spectrum Disorders at the Yale Child Study Center, supported by a gift from Marilyn and Jim Simons, click here. The program flyer can be found in the link below.

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May 15 ARTWORXX: Teens with ASD Exhibition

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Come join us at the Center for An Exhibition & Collaboration: ARTWORXX: Teens with ASD. The exhibition will be on view in the Center’s Docent Room from Sunday, May 15, 2016 – Sunday, May 22, 2016

Opening Reception in the YCBA Docent Room will be Sunday, May 15,  1:00 – 3:00pm 

Artworks made by teens as part of the Initiative for Girls and Women with Autism Spectrum Disorders at Yale’s Child Study Center in concert with the Yale Center for British Art Department of Education will be on view in the Center’s Docent Room.

TeenArtGirls_Flyer_ballerina  TeenArtGirls_Flyer_Matisse

We look forward to seeing you there.

Chihuly, but in Plastic!

Ode to Joy2002
Ode To Joy, 2002.
Blue and Beyond Blue, 2006. Dale Chihuly (b. 1941). Glass. 107 x 82 x 77 in.
Blue and Beyond Blue, 2006.

April’s Exploring Artism took inspiration from Dale Chihuly and his “Chandelier” artworks in Connecticut. Participants looked at Chilhuly’s pieces and focused on his “Ode to Joy” at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford and “Blue and Beyond Blue” at the New Britain Museum of American Art.

Detail: Ode to Joy2002.
Detail: Ode to Joy, 2002.

After learning about Chihuly’s process and looking at details of his works, participants began to make their own “Chihuly Chandelier.” There was one major difference from Chihuly’s process– we made our artwork from plastic not glass!

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Coloring our bottles with permanent marker.

Participants and family members colored disposable plastic bottles with permanent markers. Next, each person cut their colored bottle, some in swirl shapes and others in straight shapes.

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Cutting the colored plastic bottles.

We connected the bottles to a hole-punched, cardboard, paper towel roll with thin gauge craft wire.

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Alex helps measure the craft wire for each piece.

After connecting all of our pieces together, we admired our work. The final piece will be on display in the Center’s Docent Room during opening week events.

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Taking a moment to enjoy our finished            Chihuly-inspired artwork.

The April 16 Exploring Artism session was the last session to be held at Chapel Haven. We want to send a big “Thank you” to Tina and the Chapel Haven community for hosting our program during the Center’s building conservation. Our next session of Exploring Artism will be Saturday, May 21 and we will meet at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel Street, Downtown New Haven. We can’t wait to see you there.

Jackson Pollock Action Painting

two children walking and dripping paint on black paper
Painting – artists in action.

With snow on the ground the day before spring started, participants in the Center’s March 19 Exploring Artism program learned about Jackson Pollock and action painting. After learning about Pollock’s techniques and watching Hans Namuth’s Jackson Pollock film, the participants listened to jazz and made their own “controlled in-doors” action paintings.

Everyone was having fun making art.
Everyone helped to create a larger, wall sized artwork.

In the end, everyone left with a better understanding of Jackson Pollock, thanks to looking at his artworks, watching Namuth’s film, and reading Action Jackson.

Discussing the finished works.
Artists discussing their finished works.

Our next Exploring Artism will be on Saturday, April 16 at Chapel Haven. We look forward to seeing you.

ASD Fitness Center

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Physical activity is important for children with and without disabilities alike as it promotes a healthy lifestyle, but can benefit individuals with autism in unique ways.

New research and anecdotal evidence suggest that some alternative therapeutic choices that include sports, exercise, and other physical activities can be a useful adjunct to traditional behavioral interventions, leading to improvement in symptoms, behaviors, and quality of life for individuals with autism. For more information about the ASD Fitness Center in Orange, CT, click here.

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