Education Search

Object Story: The Steamboat "Peter Crary"

A highly-detailed “ship portrait” of a steamboat pulling another vessel.

Climbing the Ladder of Success through Education

In America, there is a strong belief in the value of education as way to help individuals advance in society.

A Seat at the Table

In the earliest days of the American colonies, it was common for a household to own only one chair, and use of the chair was reserved for the man of the house while women and c

Understanding Context: Different Ways to Make Sense of an Object

Connecting to People through Portraits

Like a photograph, a portrait represents a picture of a person.

The Nature of Historical or National Myths

Overview: Prosperity for All?

America was founded on the principles of equality, freedom, liberty, and respect for individual rights. But these ideals have not always applied to everyone, and many Americans have fought since the founding of this country to broaden those values so that they apply to all Americans.

Overview: The Price of Progress

The notion that innovation and change leads to progress is at the heart of the American character, but Americans also value tradition. This unit explores a wide range of traditions and innovations in American society. When is progress worth the loss of tradition and certain ways of life?

Everybody Collects

The kinds of objects, artifacts, and artworks that people collect communicate different ideas.  They can be a record of events that happened in society.

Folk Art, Vernacular Art, or Naïve Art?

Many of the objects in the Fielding Collection such as Still Life with a Basket of Fruit, Flowers, and Cornucopia attributed to Joseph Proctor are often considered “folk art.”  Some people prefer to use related terms like “naïve,” “vernacular,” or “nonacademic” instead of “folk.”  All of these terms describe work by artists who may not have had extensive, formal training or decided not to follow the teachings and ideas of traditional art instruction.