`Review of “Meet the Masters” Art Program

By Maureen Peters

Earlier this year, I was given the opportunity to use this art program with my children in exchange for writing a review of it.  Here’s my honest assessment.

This program is an easy way to introduce to your children some of the great master artists, as well as art history, appreciation and technique.  Each package of  6 artists is available in one of  3 levels, depending on the age(s) and skill level of your children.  I chose Level 2 to use with my 5 and 8 year-old girls.

The package consists of a CD-Rom and a binder.  The 6 artists featured in this set are Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Mary Cassatt, Piet Mondrian, Claude Monet and Winslow Homer.  Each lesson includes a session on the CD-Rom, followed by an art activity.  

The CD-Rom session provides a slide show and discussion of several of the artist’s most well-known works, touching on things such as style and technique, as well as some personal history of the artist and his/her era.  The text is read aloud from the binder while watching the slide show.  There are some audio bits on the CD-Rom as well, such as letters from van Gogh to his brother, Theo, and a recording of Don McLean’s ‘Vincent’.  My kids’ favourite audio was in the lesson on abstract artist, Piet Mondrian.  One of his more well-known works is ‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’, which he apparently painted while listening to jazz.  Part of the lesson is listening to three selections of music and trying to guess which one Mondrian listened to while painting ‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’.  One selection was classical, one rock and one jazz.   The girls asked me to play them over and over again while they danced around the house.   I don’t think they had ever heard jazz before (we’re more of a rock/classical/Disney household), but they can pick it out now.  It was pointed out that the irregular beat of the jazz music matched the style of the painting.   After being told that, it really did seem obvious to us.

The art activity involves following instructions to create a piece that copies the particular artist’s style.  My 8 year-old was interested in doing this.  My 5 year-old usually wasn’t and instead did whatever she was inspired to do.  Different media were used in each lesson – pastels, water colours, pencil, etc.

An aspect of the program that I found annoying was the scripted dialogue.  You are even told when and how to praise the child.  For example:  Do you think this picture is a woodblock print?  (YES)  Very good!  I found myself editing on the fly.

 Some of the lessons on the CD-Rom were drier than others and the girls seemed to be listening only to get to the art activity.  But other lessons captivated them and stayed with them – Vincent van Gogh in particular.  We were inspired to dig up more information on Vincent at the library. 

Overall, the kids enjoyed the program and I’m delighted that they often point out famous works of art when they see copies of them. One of my criteria for judging the value of programs such as this is to decide whether or not I’d be able to put it together myself just as well.  In this case, there’s no way I could have done so.  I would have had to be fairly knowledgeable about art (I’m not!) and I hadn’t even heard of 3 of these artists.  I also appreciate a program where I learn along with the kids and this was the case here.

For more information, visit meetthemasters.com.