Teaching History with Works of Art

Last week, I attended a lecture and preview for the Columbus Museum of Art's (CMA) exhibit George Tooker: A Retrospective. This renewed my interest in how art can provide social commentary. Tooker's "protest pieces" express his views on urban isolation and racial and sexual discrimination. CMA's "Art and Social Issues in American Culture" features artwork with artist biographies and interdisciplinary lesson plans in categories of economics, war, and race & ethnicity.