The National Visual Arts Standards (NVAS) present ways for students in the United States to create, present, respond, and connect to the world of art and artmaking. This article focuses on the practices of one visual arts educator, Educator A, who taught in a state-sponsored specialist music high school, guided by the following question: "How…

Advocacy is not new to art education. Over the years, Goldfarb (1979), Hodsoll (1985), and Erickson and Young (1996) have written about the importance of arts advocacy, but the concept of advocacy has evolved with the times. For example, in the 1970s, arts advocacy was described as a "movement" and brought together art educators,…

When displayed in museums and classrooms, Renaissance-era (1420-1600) painting, architecture, and drawing masterworks are often decontextualized from the social reality of the Academy system under which they were produced. For centuries, the artworks of the Italian Renaissance have seduced viewers with technical mastery, exquisite pigments, and…

Identifies and responds to criticisms of discipline-based art education (DBAE). Shows how it is an all-inclusive program that responds to the needs of all students. Analyzes factors that relate to self-esteem and demonstrates how DBAE enhances it. Describes a typical lesson and case studies to support this argument. (KM)

Describes a computer system in which art reproductions are described and entered into a database containing 27 categories of information. Named the Visual Art Index System (VIAS), its underlying structure is influenced by contemporary models of aesthetics and art criticism. Maintains that the database and laserdisk can effect teaching methodology,…

Provides four art portraits from various sources to help students question reality and the roles people play in society. Includes background information on the artists, historical contexts, visual analyses, and vocabulary lists. Outlines art and reading assignments for all age groups. (KM)

Discusses the differences and goals of four areas: (1) art appreciation; (2) art history; (3) art aesthetics; and (4) art criticism. Offers a definition of art appreciation and information on how the view of art appreciation in education has changed over time. (CMK)

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)

Explores the sources of art criticism and reviews some extant pedagogical models. Outlines the content skills to be developed and the role of art criticism in a discipline-based teacher training curriculum. Recommends that art criticism should incorporate pedagogy and other disciplines of art. (KM)

Proposes an art curriculum framework that reduces aesthetics to three theories of art: imitationalist, formalist, and emotionalist. Fits each theory into the curriculum at the appropriate developmental stage of the student. Applies these theories to art criticism, art history, and studio production. (LS)

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)

Provides illustrations and activities to help students at all grade levels understand how artists look at the world and how each artwork is a result of that personal vision. Suggests questions based on an art criticism model that moves from stages of impulse, description, analysis, interpretation, and information to personalization. (KM)

Explains that the laser videodisc is a versatile and cost-effective tool with enormous instructional potential for art education. Describes the origins, quality, and capability of videodiscs, and discusses the varieties of players and discs presently available. Maintains that this technology is especially relevant now that art education includes…

Describes art programs that were given at several elementary Australian schools focusing on Christmas and Easter. Explains that the programs are based on the accounts of the birth and death of Jesus given in the Bible. States that the programs integrate studio art, art criticism, and art history. (CMK)

Discusses the genesis of the Rembrandt Teaching Project, a discipline-based arts curriculum focusing on art history, art production, art criticism, and aesthetics. Developed for a group of New York City middle school students, the goal of the curriculum focuses on critical thinking skills. (DAJ)