The Canaan Art Festival

WAHS
Western’s Art History Symposium
You are a docent at the Canaan Art Festival for the WAHS exhibition. It is your responsibility to
explain a piece of art inspired by Biblical stories and your informed interpretation of this work to
eager art aficionados. Following the checklist below, you will prepare a brief presentation that
explains in detail the story, the artwork, and the themes that they both share.

Presentation Day (October 31st and November 1st):

You will present the following information in a PowerPoint, poster, or other visual of your
choice. Half of the class will present on Wednesday, the other half on Thursday. Presentations
will be 5 minutes and will incorporate the presentation and a time for questions.

While other groups present, you will walk around the museum as an aficionado and record on a
sticky note one thing you learned about the story, the painting, or the theme they present. You
will put any questions you have on a separate sticky note.

Checklist: 40 pts

1. Telling the Story (Intro) - 5pts

 Characters
 Chronology
 Context of the art/scene in the larger story
2. Biblical Theme (Argument) - 10pts
 Gender, Power, Wrath, Hope, Trust, Loyalty + Sacrifice, Punishment, Trickery.
 Explain the central theme and where it’s seen in the story.
3. Artistic Evidence (Evidence) - 15pts
 Use specific pieces of evidence from art:
 Hierarchical scale, lighting, space, symbolism, figure, color
 Use evidence to explain how the theme is represented in the art piece.
4. The Artist’s Interpretation (Conclusion) - 10pts
 Explain how the scene is represented by the artist.
 Does the artist alter the understanding, perspective or theme of the story?
Biblical Art Excellent (A) Good (B) Average (C) Needs Work (D-
Project F)

Telling the Story Mentions major Mentions major Mentions some Fails to mention
(What is going characters in characters and but not all major major characters
on in the Bible detail and clearly places the characters and and/or the
scene? Context) places the artwork within attempts to context of the
5 pts artwork within the the context of place the artwork.
context of the the larger story. artwork within
larger story. the larger
context.

(5 pts) (4 pts) (3.5 pts) (3- pts)

Biblical Themes Describes a Describes a Attempts to Fails to identify a

(What is the central theme of central theme of describe a theme fitting for
larger the story in detail the story and theme and the story and
significance in and convincingly analyzes its connect it to the does not attempt
the story and the analyzes its significance to text, but to analyze its
art) significance to the text. analysis may be significance.
10 pts the text. lacking in detail.
(9-10 pts)
(8 pts) (7 pts) (6- pts)

Artistic Evidence Uses multiple Uses some Uses few pieces Uses little to no
(What artistic and specific pieces of artistic of evidence to evidence to
evidence pieces of artistic evidence to attempt a draw a
supports the evidence to generally connection connection
theme you convincingly connect the between the between the
identified in the connect the story’s theme to story’s theme story’s theme
story?) story’s theme to the painting. and the and the painting.
15 pts the painting. painting.
(14-15 pts) (12-13 pts) (10- pts)
(11 pts)

The Artist’s Presents a Presents a basic Only compares Does not

Interpretation convincing interpretation of and contrasts acknowledge
(How does the interpretation of the story and without the artist’s
artist’s depiction the story and themes from the interpreting perspective and
of the story themes from the artist’s through the only retells the
change the artist’s perspective. artist’s original story.
details or perspective. perspective.
themes?)
10 pts (9-10 pts) (8 pts) (7 pts) (6- pts)