Culture Creates Community
A collection of short, classroom-ready videos about artists and arts organizations that maintain or adapt traditional art forms, and build a sense of community through their art practices. Use this collection to illustrate content covered in World History and Social Studies classes, and to inspire meaningful visual and performing arts projects.
Art and Social Studies
Studies in visual art provide an opportunity for students to learn about world history, cultures, and geography while engaging creativity. Use this video collection to give students a sense of the role art has played in Chinese, African, Mexican, Iranian and Native American cultures, and how contemporary artists interpret such global art traditions. Use the first two videos as a foundation for introducing students to a digestible timeline of art throughout history. Next, dive into this collection of short videos that reveal the intentions of today’s artists, and how they are inspired by historical works of art.
Animation
Animation in all its forms is one of the most popular creative careers that interests our students these days. From hand-drawn animation, to stop-motion animation, to animation used to create videos games, there are endless possibilities when it comes to studying this dynamic art form. Learn about the many aspects of animation through this collection of videos highlighting a range of animation artists. With this collection, you can learn about the history of animation in popular culture, and get tips on how to start your career as an animator.
Beat Making Lab
Explore the inspiring musical mission of DJs Pierce Freelon and Stephan Levitin, and their globe-trotting Beat Making Lab. Produced by PBS Digital Studios, the Beat Making Lab travels all around the world sharing their love of electronic music with aspiring artists from developing countries, using this emerging new genre to communicate ideas of culture, health, and artistic expression. Learn about the process of digital music creation, the technology that makes beat-making possible, and the amazing artists who are pioneering the electronic music revolution.
The Art Assignment
Can you think outside the box? Join curator Sarah Green as she interviews some of today’s most inspiring artists and offers a historical exploration behind their methods and techniques. Whether it’s transforming materials to help people look at the changing environment with new eyes, or taking classic artistic trends and adding a modern twist, The Art Assignment shows that true art can come in many shapes and sizes.
PBS Idea Channel
Explore the crossroads of art, science, and pop culture with PBS Idea Channal. Hosted by Mike Rugnetta, the Idea Channel launched in 2012 and has since posted over 100 videos, with more added every Wednesday. The program has quickly grown to one of the most watched on the web, winning multiple Webby Awards and recieving praise for Mike’s active engagement in the viewing community. Each video contains feedback and replies to previous work, keeping the program fresh and establishing a platform for discussion.
Off Book
Learn about the art, the people, and the culture of the digital revolution with Off Book. This revolution program from PBS Digital Studios combines top-tier journalism with the underground, and often ignored, subject matter of today’s modern digital age. With topics ranging from internet culture and graphic design, to the worlds of videogames and coding, Off Book examines the changing world of contemporary art like it’s never been seen before.
