[Tea] Highlight an Artist

Welcome to "Tea with Julie," a weekly missive by me, Julie Bogart. My wish is to give you food for thought over a cup of tea to enhance your life as an educator, parent, and awesome adult. Glad you're here. Pinkies up!
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Cincinnati, February 25, 2023

Hi Friend,

Highlight an artist! Here's an example:

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh is considered one of the greatest artists to have ever lived, but in his own lifetime he was considered something of a failure. While alive, he had difficulty finding buyers for his paintings and was financially supported instead by his brother Theo. This might feel somewhat hard to believe nowadays when we're used to seeing his works on display in museums next to plaques explaining their great significance to the art world, but Van Gogh's fame only came about posthumously.

The man behind the art can be challenging to discuss with children due to the sad way his life ended, so here are some age appropriate ideas you might find helpful.

Check out art museum resources designed just for kids, like Tate's page about van Gogh.
The rebooted British children’s show Doctor Who has an episode in its fifth season (aptly titled Vincent and the Doctor) which shows Van Gogh’s illness in a gentle and sympathetic light that may help with contextualizing these issues for kids (we do recommend that parents view the episode first, before deciding if it is right for their families). Its time travel concept also allows for the inclusion of a beautiful moment of wish fulfillment, since one of the great tragedies of Van Gogh’s life is that he never knew that his art would one day be considered essential viewing for the art lover.
And if your kids aren’t ready for the details of van Gogh's life, you can still bust out the art books and enjoy the riot of colors and the uniquely expressive beauty of his artwork.

Need more help?

the month of March in Brave Learner Home will be all about how to cultivate a family art habit, and our Master Class will be taught by the wonderfully creative Melissa Wiley!

Webinar: Cultivating a Family Art Habit with Melissa Wiley
Thursday, March 16 at 7:00 pm (Eastern)

Hope to see you there!

Warmly,

P.S. Catch up on all the “Tea with Julie” emails here!