Become curator, artist, and exhibition designer of your own museum experience. Explore the diverse displays and subjects on view at Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History for inspiration and use artistry, engineering, and your unique interests to create small scale maquettes, installations, and architectural plans of a gallery concept all your own. Follow in the footsteps of the Carnegie International curatorial team and collaborate with classmates to combine your efforts into one new neighborhood museum.
Learn more about My Museum.
Construct unique artworks by combining varied materials and art processes. Mix colors and apply paint using unusual tools and techniques, create interesting textures by layering and combining materials, and experiment with different forms of printmaking like stamps and transfers. Explore the galleries to discover examples of the processes artists have used worldwide throughout history.
Learn more about Paint, Print, and Paste.
Travel across continents and through time without ever leaving the museum! Explore the expansive art forms presented by creatives from around the world in the Carnegie International, discover the geographic origins of a sphinx, or rest in a cool spot on a hot day in France. Create sculptures, paintings, and drawings based on what you find, and fill out an art passport at each stop.
Learn more about Art Passport.
Journey into the museum’s galleries to uncover artworks that originated in places far from Pittsburgh but all ended up together in the Carnegie International. Discover more about the artists and their creative practices through close observation, art investigation, and expert insider information. Explore diverse art materials and processes through experimentation as you play and map what you discover throughout your journey.
Learn more about Art Around the World.
Apply left-brained thinking to a right-brained activity for unexpected results. Observe works of art in the galleries for ideas, hypothesize some "what-ifs,” then head to the lab for experimentation. Ink, graphite, rubber bands, straws, paint brushes, paper, wood, plastic—let materials take you on a scientific drawing journey. Record your process and results in your sketchbook and make a series of works based on your findings.
Learn more about Drawing Laboratory.
Calling all wiggle worms! Join us at the museum for a wiggle-and-squiggle-filled art-making week. Use movement as inspiration as you explore the galleries to find ideas for your art. Use your feet, your hands, and your body to create sculptures that shift, paintings that vibrate, and a parade performance through the galleries.
Learn more about Art in Motion.
Develop your own modular worlds inspired by popular toys and games like Legos and Minecraft. Bring digital creations to life by constructing pixelated structures in three dimensions. Use Lego figures to create stop-motion animation and pull distinctive prints from the surface of each brick. Explore spaces around Oakland and work with your team to recreate their materials and silhouettes in Minecraft.
Learn more about Building with Blocks.
Utilize one of our most essential natural resources for discovery and creation. Uncover the vibrant effects of liquid watercolor paints, explore the diversity of undersea creatures through scavenger hunts in the library and field trips to Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and discover water-themed art in our galleries. Play with water in its various forms and use it to inspire, transfer, and transform.
Learn more about Water Play.
Learn how to turn ideas into sketches, sketches into drawings, and drawings into paintings. Explore drawing materials like charcoal and pastel and use your expertise to successfully compose and execute paintings using watercolor and acrylics. Experiment with combining materials and build your skills through daily exercises in a variety of mark-making techniques and color mixing strategies. Choose your favorite approach, brainstorm, and play with process to create your own masterpieces.
Learn more about Drawing and Painting Studio.