Look and Make

a collage of portraits made in discover art

Art is the perfect cross-curricular subject for schools, allowing exploration of a wide range of themes. Taking part in our art programmes at the Ulster Museum will provide your class with a creative learning experience that is memorable and meaningful, delivered by an experienced team. We have in-depth subject knowledge and a passion for making art accessible to all. Each workshop is delivered in two parts. Look - taking time in the gallery to focus and discuss what you see. Make - trying out some new creative techniques to make your own artwork inspired by what you’ve seen. Choose a workshop theme from one of the options available…

children looking at art in Ulster Museum

Let’s Go to the Pictures

Look: This is the all-purpose, go-to session for primary classes seeking something engaging and creative during their visit. Our art galleries are constantly changing and this option guarantees that your class will not miss out on the best of what’s on offer. This year, look out for two very important exhibition highlights - the landscapes of Irish-born painter John Lavery in spring, and a stunning Caravaggio painting on loan to us in May and June 2024. Make: Everyone in the class gets a chance to make their very own artwork inspired by what they have seen in the gallery using a range of materials and techniques, led by our expert team.

Nature All Around Us

Look: Let’s take a look at landscape and nature in paintings, starting with a close look at the very first impressionist painting to be acquired by the Ulster Museum - L’allée au bois - by the painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. In the gallery we will explore themes of weather, time of day, stories and discuss how artists use the visual elements to compose pictures. Make: Everyone in the class gets a chance to make their very own expressive drawing of a plant inspired by the work of the artist Graham Sutherland in mixed media: wax pastels and watercolour.

an image of a black and white optical illusion

Opt for Op Art (until April 2024)

Look: In this workshop, we will explore the galleries to investigate how colour and pattern have been used in paintings, finishing up with Bridget Riley’s amazing piece Cataract IV. Make: Op art is the inspiration for some fun collage art-making.

a painting of a dark haired person sitting at a table

Portraits and Personalities

Look: In this workshop we will look at some of the different ways artists have made portraits. We will explore how people wish to present themselves and how we read personality and body language in paintings. We will also talk about style, technique and the visual elements. Make: Everyone in the class will have a chance to make vibrant self-portraits using mixed media.

Caravaggio 10 May – end of August 2024

Look: This summer, the Ulster Museum is delighted to bring one of the most important paintings in the collection of the National Gallery in London to its galleries - The Supper at Emmaus by world-renowned painter Caravaggio. The class will explore how artists from Turner to Sean Keating tell stories in their paintings, focussing on Caravaggio as the supreme teller of stories. Make: Everyone in the class will have the chance to make still life pictures in mixed media, concentrating on light and shade.