Throughout history, certain members of nearly all cultures have deliberately altered their body's natural appearance. Today, people live in a time when medicine can cure the body and also reshape it. Hence, many people use biomedical means, such as steroids and hormones to alter their bodies. Additionally, cosmetic surgery is becoming increasingly…

The art education literature has recently given a good deal of attention to the topic of Visual Culture in Art Education (VCAE). VCAE appears to some art educators as the next new emphasis in art education following Discipline-Based Art Education. At least four recent theme issues of Art Education have addressed the topic in various ways. All of…

Author outlined a theory explaining why young people make drawings. (Author/RK)

Noting that Asian children frequently develop artistic sensitivity and skill at a very young age, the author presents insights gained from a year's study of Japan's art education practices and of cultural attitudes which foster children's art in that nation. (SJL)

Examines the influence of cultural factors and cultural norms on self-imagery and their implications for art education. (Author/RK)

The term "visual culture" includes all manifestations of cultural life that are significantly expressed through visual aspects and interpreted through individual and shared experiences. Visual culture includes art, cultural practices, media images, and other forms. However, teaching visual culture involves more than extending the range of visual…

Addresses the teaching of color symbolism and asserts that racism is embodied and perpetuated through conventional notions of black and white symbolism. Discusses a project with two eighth grade classes, focusing on the discussion of color symbolism in school and popular culture. Considers the importance of analyzing contemporary languages of…

Points out that the word "style" can mean how an object is designed or how to identify a particular artist, group, culture, or movement. Illustrates four artworks from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Provides background information and questions for students to analyze, interpret, and create artwork. (KM)

Reports on insights about sociocultural influences on Brazilian children's drawings, using visual anthropology to examine children's drawings that depicted what they like to do. Discusses visual anthropology, provides information on Brazilian educational influences, and presents the context and findings of the study. (CMK)

Provides a historical overview of U.S. print advertising from the 1890s to the 1990s. Demonstrates how advertisers adapt their messages and target audiences to the changes each era brings. Conveys that advertising reflects society by giving an image of an era as it aims to persuade. Offers six teaching activities. (CMK)

Describes a lesson plan that introduces students in grades 10-12 to the decorative arts as a vehicle for exploring the cultural framework as a means of communicating various aspects of the human experience. Students design a story cloth based on a visual symbol they have developed to represent a human issue such as famine or war. (LS)

Contends that a work of art may have more than one story to tell and that the full meaning requires knowledge of the artist's background and culture. Presents four classroom lessons based on three paintings and a beaded belt. Includes full-page color photographs of the art works. (CFR)

Explores how the universal stages of graphic language development manifest themselves in children living in the Amish community and how the uniqueness of this subculture is reflected in their drawings. Explains that Amish children focus on an agrarian environment and use copying as a means to finding an accepted place in the community. (CMK)

Discusses how students can examine artists' use of clothing to express ideas about cultural values, lifestyle, and design. Features four, culturally different, artworks from the Art Institute of Chicago. Outlines instructional methods for discussion, creative writing, and art production. (KM)

Considers concepts and terminologies that focus on generalizations concerning traditional African art and cultures. Argues that alternative concepts and terminologies should be used in developing curriculum and in teaching non-Western art. Discusses traditional African religious beliefs, primitivism, and the function of African art objects. (KM)