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The exuberant expressions of early twentieth-century realists tell the story of the optimism and sense of well-being that culminated in the 'boom' years of the 1920's.  However, as the climate disasters mounted (the massive Midwestern drought and the Dust Bowl) the financial fortunes tumbled in the collapse of the stock market in 1929, the art quickly transitioned to reflect the spreading difficulties. Using the resources on the Whitney Website (www.whitney.org) teachers worked with Whitney staff to design classroom-based activities to prepare students for an interactive discussion about the art via videoconferencing.

THE WHITNEY MUSEUM

The Whitney Museum of Art collects and exhibits American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.  The Whitney's Education Department is committed to exploring new approaches to the concept of education and to developing interdisciplinary, multidimensional programs and materials.  These resources are designed to make the Whitney Museum's world-renowned collection of American art and its comprehensive exhibition program accessible to a broad audience.

In additional to providing a wide range of public and educational programs on-site, the Whitney offers online educational resources to local, national, and international audiences on its website at http:www.whitney.org

The Whitney's Internet-based initiatives are designed to extend public participation in the Museum's exhibitions and provide distance-learning opportunities.  The Whitney's web resources focus on exploring how new information technologies can be used to enhance the ways in which Museum visitors and Internet audiences learn about works of art.

Lessons