A primary goal of substantive art education is to communicate visually--to decipher art for meaning and to construct meaning through images and objects. Strategies available to engage students are the interdisciplinary activities found in performance, visual and written forms of creative expression, and related disciplines such as ethnography,…

Examines the "picture study" movement which began in the late 1800s and faded during the 1920s. Focuses especially on the work of Oscar Neal, a leading picture study advocate. Attempts to show how the aesthetic theory, beliefs about art, social assumptions, educational limitations, educational beliefs, and technology of the time interacted to make…

Describes a program to reinforce the art-history curriculum; establish a volunteer habit; and impact students' self-esteem, communication, and leadership skills through service learning. Discusses student training and service as docents at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Texas), and comments on the skills that they acquire through the…

Presents a biography of Mine Okubo, a prolific Japanese-American artist who was among the thousands of Japanese imprisoned in "relocation camps" during World War II. Provides insights into Ms. Okubo's philosophy as well as the phases of her art, emphasizing her role as a living repository and documentor of Japanese-American history. (JDH)

The first art lesson helps middle-school students to understand characteristics, methods, and the historical significance of Cubist paintings as shown in Picasso's "Still Life with Compote and Glass." In the second lesson high school students learn about Cezanne's work and his relationship to the Impressionists and 20th century artists.…

Citing a lack of teacher preparation and available curriculum materials for art appreciation, the author proposes an art criticism/art history approach for the secondary grades. He outlines a sequence of operations modeled after Bruner's stages of perceptual decision making and presents a sample lesson plan. (SJL)

Provides a historical context on the issue of women dressing in clothing traditionally worn by men. Focuses on the lives, loves, and careers of Rosa Bonheur, Romaine Brooks, and Gluck (Hannah Gluckstein) who were artists who used clothing to express their sexual identity. (CMK)

Reviews Betty La Duke's 1985 book "Companeras: Women, Art, and Social Change in Latin America." States that La Duke's background as an artist with more than 30 years of experience in Latin American travels produces a very clear impression of the aesthetic response of women to the fabric of their lives. (JDH)

Reviews the traditional approach to ceramics education that focuses on studio-based, formalist curriculum and Modernist concerns. Argues for a comprehensive, or contextual, ceramics education in high school classrooms that would include contextual information about ceramic objects. Discusses example ceramic objects by various artists. (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 student assessment by portfolio approach as used in the Arts PROPEL project. Argues that the content of art knowledge is embedded in a process approach in which techniques, elements, formal analysis, and historical images can be explored. Observes that learning is an active process and teacher student interactions concerning the portfolio…

Discusses federal art projects during the New Deal, providing information on Edgar Britton and the influence of being a New Deal artist on his later work. Discusses the use of Britton's murals, housed at Highland Park High School (Chicago), in the curriculum. Comments on today's public art. (CMK)

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)

Recommends using an activity-based approach to art history similar to that of the "new social studies" movement of the 1960s. Provides suggestions for activities related to art criticism, style, and inductive learning. Concludes that student activities can help integrate art history and studio art in art education programs. (CFR)

Describes the different types of graffiti: (1) private forms of graffiti (doodling and latrinalia); and (2 public forms (gang graffiti, tags, and pieces). Uses teenage psychology to interpret adolescents' involvement in graffiti. Examines graffiti art in relation to its educational implications for secondary art education. (CMK)