Abstraction
Art that is not a direct depiction of life and natural appearances. It often deals with the inner reality. Uses only the basic essentials of line, shape, color, and texture.

Caricature
Character studies that exaggerate one or more features.

Composition
The manner in which the forms, lines, and colors of an artwork are arranged.

Contour
An outline drawing of a form or object.

Folk
Art in which schooling and academic training play little part, is handed down from generation to generation and usually reflects commonly held regional values and customs.

Harlem Renaissance
An explosive era of Black creativity and intellectual stimulation.

Modernism
The deliberate departure from tradition and the use of innovative forms of expression that distinguish many styles in the arts and literature of the 20th century.

Portrait
The likeness of a person.

MUSIC TERMS

Ballet
A theatrical dance form with a story, sets, and music.

Classical
Music conforming to certain form and structure, considered "serious," as opposed to pop music.

Composer
A person who creates (composes) music.

Jazz
A style of music of Afro-American roots characterized by a strong rhythmic understructure, blues notes and improvisation on melody and chord structure.

Avant-garde
At the forefront of new developments in art.

Etching
A method of engraving a metal plate, such as zinc, copper, or steel, by a process of biting the lines with mordents.

Harlem Renaissance
An explosive era of Black creativity and intellectual stimulation.

Modernism
The deliberate departure from tradition and the use of innovative forms of expression that distinguish many styles in the arts and literature of the 20th century.

Social Realism
A movement that developed in the U.S. in the Depression years of the 1930's. Painting in realistic style, artists focused on depicting the downtrodden, urban, and working class.

Symbolism
Used by artists to suggest ideas and thoughts.

Woodcut
The smooth side of a block of wood is cut away to form a design. The block is printed by spreading ink on top of the lines, and then resting a piece of appear against it to form a print. The parts that you cut away remains white.

MUSIC TERMS

Burlesque
A composition in a playful, satiric style.

Folk Music
Originally songs and music passed down through oral tradition. Traditional music that reflects a locale or national feeling.

Jazz
A style of music of Afro-American roots characterized by a strong rhythmic understructure, blues notes and improvisation on melody and chord structure.

Ragtime
The earliest form of jazz, from the early 1900s. Features "ragged" syncopated rhythms against a regular rhythmic background of 2/4 or 4/4.