Increased attention to the importance of the arts in general education demands that we carefully define what we mean by "art" when we argue that it should be included in the school curriculum. Education in the arts has traditionally meant education in the making of art, but while only a few students will go on to produce artistically in later life, most students will see art and will have aesthetically-grounded experiences throughout their lives. Therefore an emphasis on education in it can serve at least 2 purposes: it can serve as a communication vehicle between critic and audience, helping the viewer better to see the work and understand its impact; we call this portrayal criticism. Art criticism may also intend to persuade the reader/viewer of the critic's judgment of the work; we may call this persuasive criticism. Both portrayal and persuasive criticism serve a purpose in education, and they serve different purposes in the K-12 classroom setting and the more informal museum education setting. Effective arts educators will use both portrayal and persuasive criticism, tailoring each to the different backgrounds and motivations of their audiences. (Author)