Examines postmodernist art and its impact on architecture and visual art in the United States. States that this genre of art has affected dramatically object art, such as furniture design. Contends that postmodernism can be traced through societal and personal histories. (CFR)

Explains that looking at a picture book as a work of art entails that one explores the relationship between images, the combination and arrangement of images, style and story, use of color, the relationship between the meaning of the text and images, and the form of the book. (CMK)

Compares works selected from the permanent collection of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, an art museum at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. Provides two sets of painting reproductions, information about the artists, transcripts of the telephone-accessed comments for viewers of each set, additional background information, and suggestions for…

Considers the true value of art by outlining a number of factors that determine the price of a painting including the fame of the artist, the time of the artist's death, and the age of the work. Concludes that students should be encouraged to consider the emotional, aesthetic, and intellectual worth rather than the monetary value. (KM)

Addresses the issue of the fame of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." Describes several kitsch objects that have been created about the painting. Maintains that students need to address this issue otherwise such exploitation will depreciate the value of the art work. (KM)

Defines aesthetics when framed as critical inquiry as the process of teaching students to use critical strategies of professional philosophers to develop aesthetic content. Addresses four major aesthetic issues: meaning and value in art, how to discuss art, aesthetic experience, and beauty. Presents a sequence of critical-inquiry activities. (CMK)

Maintains that philosophical aesthetics must be an integral part of art education. Examines existing methods and materials for teaching philosophy to children from the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (New Jersey). Describes a sample unit showing philosophical aesthetics in action in a fifth grade class. (KM)

Asserts that elementary school art experiences are not always positive experiences. Discusses Eisner's model of art criticism which comprised six dimensions of critical judgments. Recommends a synthesis of subject-centered approaches based on four areas of activity: reacting; researching, responding, and reflecting. (CFR)

Defines the environment as both subject and context for art education and art as historical visual record of culture. Recommends that art education should include study of built environments such as schools and public buildings. Describes programs in which students designed and built sidewalks in Oregon and Kentucky. (CFR)

Asserts that aesthetic questions and aesthetic understanding provide the framework for learning in art. Contrasts formalism (the belief that art exists for its own sake) with contextualism (the belief that art is part of a social communication system). Maintains that a balanced art program should incorporate both approaches. (MJP)

Asserts that neither of the two most popular models of art criticism lends itself to a postmodern understanding of the political role of visual art in the late 20th century. Concludes that the historical context model is rooted in historical understanding and that teachers must prepare for this type of instruction. (CFR)

Provides an introduction and overview of installation art. Installation art challenges the accepted notion of passive viewing and comments on concepts concerning art and the environment by creating spatial environments using natural materials. Describes several student installation art projects and the issues raised by this approach. (MJP)

Presents a series of lesson plans analyzing four paintings. The lesson plans use discipline-based art-education principles to examine issues of racial, ethnic, social, and gender prejudice. The artists represented are Robert Gwathmey, Thomas Hart Benton, Eastman Johnson, and Jacob Lawrence. Includes color plates and background information. (MJP)

Presents three works of art that examine issues of exhibition, display, culture, and access in contemporary museum practices. The works include four black mannequins dressed as security guards, a room-size installation consisting solely of objects related to the artist, and a poster highlighting the general exclusion of women artists. (MJP)

Contends that teaching interpretation within art criticism is probably the most difficult aspect of teaching criticism. Provides suggestions and 17 principles to guide art teachers in engaging their students interpretive dialog about works of art and to provide criteria for assessing their interpretations. (CFR)