Go van Gogh® brings the Dallas Museum of Art to Pre-K through 6th grade classrooms within Dallas city limits free of charge through programs that encourage students to engage with works of art, develop and express ideas and opinions, and make personal and academic connections. All programs include art-making activities that provide opportunities for individual creative expression and are offered in both English and Spanish. Below are our in-person program topics for the 2022–2023 school year.
In-Person Program Topics
Meet the Shapes (Pre-K–1st Grade)
In this program, students will learn all about shapes! Students will participate in a playful game, listen to a storybook about enormous shape collages, we will look at shapes within DMA artworks, and then experiment with shapes to create a fun shape collage.
Making Motifs (1st–3rd Grade)
Pick a pattern, make a motif, and explore bogolanfini, or mud cloth, from the Bamana peoples of Mali in this new lesson inspired by the DMA's textile collection. Students will search for repeating patterns in these richly decorated cloths and then design a stamp to create a patterned cloth of their own.
Balancing Act (3rd–5th Grade)
Steady yourself for some gravity defying magic as we investigate how art and science combine to make unique sculptures. This lesson guides students into developing new ways to create art by having a meaningful discussion, experimenting with balance and movement, and looking at artworks from the DMA's collection. Students will then create art that balances!
Ink Painting with Stephen Zhang (4th–6th Grade)
Learn the step-by-step process of Japanese sumi-e, or ink painting, with local artist Stephen Zhang in this lesson that mixes hands-on demonstration and a pre-recorded video made by the artist. Students will try several practice exercises with the artist and then create their own ink painting of an animal using the techniques they've learned.
A City of My Own (Pre-K–6th Grade and Special Ed Classrooms)
Invite us along for an imaginary journey through your city! Learn about artwork that highlights the city of Dallas, think about the people and places that make your community special, and then create a fun artwork!
Pre-K–2nd Grade and Special Education: Students will participate in a playful song, listen to a storybook about being a good citizen, investigate artworks, and then create a cityscape collage.
3rd–6th Grade: Students will participate in thoughtful discussions, explore their community, investigate artworks, and then create a cityscape collage.
Virtual Pre-Recorded Program Topics
Things That Go! (Pre-K & Kindergarten)
Climb aboard our exploration train as we learn about transportation within works of art. From cars and trains to rockets and planes, students will identify things that "go" through a guessing game, a vivid storybook, and an imaginative art-making activity.
Planting a Rainbow (Pre-K & Kindergarten)
Calling all green thumbs! Join us as we learn about gardening through a participatory song, flower-filled artworks, and a colorful story. Students will then create their own imaginative gardens, sowing the seeds of all they wish to grow and see in the world.
Guardians from Around the World (1st & 2nd Grade)
Explore artworks that tell the stories of guardians from around the world. Students will dramatize a story, connect themes of bravery and courage to their own lives, and transform into guardians through a shield-making art activity.
No Place Like Home (1st & 2nd Grade)
What makes a place a home? Inspired by the exhibition For a Dreamer of Houses, this program guides students on a journey through diverse representations of home as they explore themes of place and belonging before creating their own homegrown collages.
Mirror, Mirror (3rd & 4th grade)
Join us for a portrait party featuring faces from different places as we explore how artists choose to represent themselves and their communities. Students will reflect on the things that make us who we are as inspiration for their own self-portrait.
Journeys (3rd & 4th Grade)
Inspired by My|gration, students will explore artworks that trace the migration of people, objects, and ideas across times and cultures before reflecting on their own journeys through a storytelling art-making activity.
Ink Painting with Stephen Zhang (4th – 6th Grade; English only)
Learn the step-by-step process of Japanese sumi-e, or ink painting, with a demonstration by local artist Stephen Zhang. Students will try several practice exercises with the artist and then create their own ink painting of an animal using the techniques they've learned.
Reflections (5th & 6th Grade)
Inspired by the cross-collection exhibition To Be Determined, this program guides students in exploring how we create our own meaning for the artworks we engage with through connections to our present, histories, and hopes for the future. Students will then create their own postcard-inspired artworks drawing on found text and the themes of the exhibition.