Activities involving photographs stimulate visual perceptual awareness. Children understand visual stimuli before having verbal capacity to deal with the world. Vision becomes the primary means for learning, understanding, and adjusting to the environment. Photography can provide an effective avenue to visual literacy. (Author)

The perceptual encounter with works of art, after all, is the core of aesthetic experience. How well such encounters succeed for people has to be a central concern of art education. (Author)

Metaphoric interpretation of art serves different purposes in art education and psychotherapy. These differences are discussed in the context of categories of art criticism adapted from E. B. Feldman's work. Practical guidelines are presented to help art teachers use metaphoric interpretation and maintain the boundary between education and…

Discusses the relationship of visual art and language as modes of communication. Words are cumulative in effect, while visual images communicate more directly. Art education provides students with a means of interpreting and evaluating visual images. (AM)

The author urges art educators to contribute to holistic education by emphasizing the unique and alternative modes of thinking and acting which are intrinsic to visual arts. He presents two exercises to help students develop a perceptual rather than conceptual or linguistic mode. (Author/SJL)

This article describes the importance of architectural studies for art students. Recommends that architectural studies include historical trends, critical analysis, and studio practice. (JDH)

Though reproductions are a necessary teaching tool, they are not substitutes for the original work of art. Through museum visits, students can be provided with the knowledge needed to experience art. By describing, analyzing, and evaluating the works of art, students become aware of the differences between originals and reproductions. (CS)

Presents and discusses the reasoning behind the National Art Education Association's position statement, "Art in the Mainstream." The statement is intended to clarify the wider value of art education. Art education is essential in developing positive attitudes toward work, in enhancing literacy, and in increasing understanding of human values. (AM)

Maintains that before any real teaching can take place, art teachers must combat "visual fatigue,""media bombardment," and "sensory overload." Describes each of these phenomena and offers practical advice for overcoming their effects. (JDH)

Maintains that museum learning should be an integral part of all school art programs and should not be treated as an enrichment, a supplement, or mere resource for the classroom-based art program. Describes the programs of 35 United States art museums which go beyond the standard "walk-and-gawk" tours of the past. (JDH)

Reasons why art education should be concerned with contemporary visual culture are examined. Three ways the art curriculum can be restructured to respond critically to visuals such as photographs, advertising, television, and rock videos are outlined. (RM)

Aesthetic perception must be taught if we expect students to use it. Within a given society, the creators and viewers of art are socialized to more or less agreed upon aesthetic codes and conventions. (Author/RM)

Aesthetic education has attempted to teach art history and criticism, along with providing traditional art activities. The viability of aesthetic education is criticized, and a step beyond it is suggested. The purpose of this new direction, aesthetic literacy, is to ensure that students become knowledgeable consumers of the visual arts. (CS)

Presents reasons why art education should be considered a mainstream discipline. The author argues that art educators must use their skills in visual media to communicate the importance of visual literacy. The relevance of art to work skills, language acquisition, and cultural values is examined. (AM)

Throughout European history, artists have celebrated the values of their patrons. Today, the schools are the largest employer of artists. To justify art education according to current Back-to-Basics values, art teachers should explain visual art as a language, which they can teach students to read and use. (SJL)