Juniors Visit Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art
American writer William Carlos Williams once stated, "But all art is sensual and poetry particularly so. It is directly, that is, of the senses, and since the senses do not exist without an object for their employment all art is necessarily objective. It doesn't declaim or explain, it presents."
Because of the subjective nature of both poetry and art, much of the interpretation can be nestled in the perspective of the viewer. The Bone Creek Museum of agrarian art depicts many of the perspectives of the farm, or an agrarian perspective.
Agrarian:
“…pertaining to fields, or lands, or their tenure"
The Junior English classes utilized their knowledge of the root
“agr” to understand that the word agrarian relates to anything
pertaining to fields, or lands, or their tenure. By visiting the
Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art, the only museum in North America
devoted exclusively to agrarian art, the students gained a better
understanding of the agrarian lifestyle and community. And while
the transformation of rural American life might be moving towards
more urban development, we must remember that the farm is not an
incidental part of our history, but instead a nostalgic and
essential element of who we were and are.
The students took a self-guided tour requiring them to dig deep
into the painting analyzing how topics, themes, colors, textures,
dynamics of pattern and style, space (and negative space) impacts
the artwork. If you would like to take the same tour, you may find
it after this article (the same questions the students were asked
to answer).
NAME__________________________
Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art
1. "End of Harvest" What is the predominant color or what mood does
the color establish?
2. "Tree Collage" What do you think of this? What is the point of
the dark lines?
3. "Nebraska Farm" What is the central image of this piece?
4. "The World's Granary" What do you notice about the clouds?
5. "Spring Flood Platte River" What is the role of yellow in this
painting?
6. 'Old Snow" What has happened to the snow (read the sign for
clues if you can't tell from the painting)?
7. "Knife River II" What, according to this painter, does
"agrarian" mean?
8. "Remember that One Winter's Day" What role does color play in
setting the mood or what color scheme is generally followed?
9. "Corn..Shadows" Stand back away from the painting, then walk
towards it. How does the painting change as you view it from far
away to up-close?
10. "Fairfield St...Evening" Where could you find this scene (read
the description if you need clues)?
11. "Generations" What could the three be going to do (look at the
youngest for clues)?
12. "A Good Solid Farm" How many calves (baby cows) are shown?
13. "Wood Chopper" How do you think the author created this misty
image?
14. "Windmills" What is the predominant image and/or color(s)?
15. "Witt Farm" Do you think the girl in the white dress is really
there or is she only a ghost and why?
16. "Field Gold" What shapes do you see in this painting?
17. "Meadowlark" Look closely at the colors...what connection do
they make or are there any that stand out?
18. "Autumn Scene" What is the role of texture in this painting and
how do you think the painter helped develop this texture?
19. "Farmer's Putting Silage in the Silo" Why might the farmers be
hurrying to get the silage into the silo quickly (clue...look at
the back ground of the scene)?
20. "Nichols and the four seasons" What patterns, colors, and
styles are prevalent throughout all of the seasonal paintings?
21. "Ghosts of Halloween" What is the guy going to go and do (or he
is returning from this)?
22. "Platte Valley" This image of summer seems to depict a little
bit different sky...how?
23. "Ruth Nichols ...John's Barn" What is the shape of the barn
(there's actually a couple of possible answers...the reading next
to it will give it away)?
24. "Gossip" Who is "gossiping" in this painting?
25. "Herefords" What are Donna Krizek's favorite models?
26. "Family Farm in Flux" What's the point of this painting? (Any
guesses????)
27. What is your favorite piece of art and why?
28. What is your least favorite and why?
