Recommended Website:
National Museum of Wildlife
At today’s website you can take a virtual tour of the National Museum of Wildlife. When you get to the site, select one of 5 virtual tours of exhibits currently housed at the museum. Each virtual tour offers a panoramic view of the gallery. Click on any piece of artwork and a new screen opens with a photo of the artwork and detailed information about the painting and the artist. The galleries include:
- JKM Gallery — The selection of paintings you can view here represent the development of Wildlife Art in America from the 1800’s to the present day.
- Rungius Gallery — Named after wildlife master artist Carl Rungius, this gallery shows how his painting style evolved over the length of his career.
- Clymer Studio — Virtually explore the recreated art studio of John Clymer, who documented the American frontier through illustrations and paintings. You’ll even see the specimens he collected as props for his art.
- Bison Gallery — The bison of the American frontier was a popular subject for Native American artists and has been frequently depicted in European and American artwork as well. This gallery is devoted to artistic renderings of bison over the last 2 centuries.
- Bob Kuhn Traveling Exhibit — View over 100 paintings by renowned wildlife painter, Bob Kuhn.
When you are through exploring the virtual exhibits, click on the “Games” button on the menu at the bottom of your screen. This section was designed for kids and includes the “Art Tales” activity featured in a ClickSchooling review in 2003. It also offers:
- A Brush With Wildlife – Create a composition using the animated art principles of Carl Rungius.
- My Life As An Elk — In this online story you become a young elk and choose the adventures you have in each season throughout the year. You can explore this story in text or audio narration versions.
- Animal Athletes — Find a selection of fun games that imitate the actions of animals. Test your skill, speed, stealth, or trickery as you try each activity.
Have fun!
