Project Content and Purpose
On Tour employs art as a purposeful pathway to STEM topics and makes famous artwork real-world relevant for
today’s students. The On Tour Gallery includes 24 of the greatest works of art, reflecting significant periods and
styles in the history of Western civilization. The oldest print is circa 17,000 B.C., the Lascaux Cave Painting of
Animals. The most recent item in the collection is from 1981, Jammin’ at the Savoy. The entire collection is now
shipped directly from one of the world's largest online retailers of wall art. Each impressive print is custom-framed,
high quality, and ready for display.
The 24 selected works of art.
Two copies of the On Tour guidebook accompany the collection, with two pages devoted to each work of art. The
first page introduces the artwork and reveals significant events and influences in the artist’s life. We see how traits
such as personality, temperament and individuality shaped what we see on the canvas. STEAM questions make up
the second page. These sample questions encourage interpretation, analysis and further investigation.
Schools receive a digital copy of the entire contents of the guidebook. Teachers may edit, copy and distribute the
content within the school building. A friendly Creative Commons license explains what’s allowed. Teachers may
copy and redistribute the guidebook material in any medium or format. They may also remix, transform, and build
upon the material. This means teachers can customize and distribute the content to best meet the needs of any
group of students. The questions and suggested activities found in On Tour are a starting point. No doubt
resourceful educators will generate new and better ways to integrate project content into the curriculum.
Students drawn to the visual arts and to the lives of great artists are rarely the same students attracted to science,
technology, engineering and mathematics. Students who aren’t naturally talented in these subject areas may be
disadvantaged (or disinterested) in a curriculum focused on STEM. Art tells stories. The scene depicted as well as
the artist who fashioned it convey information just as words and numbers can. Art integration activities reduce the
friction between the creative and the technical. STEAM broadens means of expression and enhances meaning-
STEAMed Magazine
18
October 2016 Edition