<p>This collection includes images of Molas which are an art form created by women of the indigenous Guna/(Cuna/Kuna) Indians of the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama.  Traditional Molas were created as two appliquéd panels of fabric sewn together and worn as a woman's or girl's blouse.  Around 1960, the Guna women began producing Molas specifically made for tourists while still maintaining their practice of sewing traditional Molas for their own cultural purposes.  The thinking strategies included in this collection are intended to facilitate discussions centering around the following questions: </p> <ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">How does the art form of the mola strengthen the spirit of community and cultural identity of the Guna/(Cuna/Kuna) people?</p></li></ol> <p></p> <p dir="ltr">2.  How might producing traditional cultural artworks for tourism and economic profit affect and/or change the intent of the artwork and how it impacts the cultural identity of the people?</p> <p dir="ltr">This collection was created in conjunction with the 2021 Smithsonian Summer Sessions for Teachers: Interrogating the Stories We Tell </p> <p dir="ltr"><br></p> <p></p>

<p>This collection includes self-portraits by two different artists: Faith Ringgold and Jacob Lawrence.  Both artists are generally known for their efforts to represent everyday life experiences, struggles, and successes of African Americans.  The purpose of the collection is to prompt a discussion comparing/contrasting each artist's content and media choice in the context of a self-portrait.  Students will be asked to reflect on stages of the artistic process in terms of artist intent, choice of media, and general content of a finished artwork.     </p> <p>This collection was created in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery's 2019 Learning to Look Summer Teacher Institute.  #NPGteach </p>