The perceptual encounter with works of art, after all, is the core of aesthetic experience. How well such encounters succeed for people has to be a central concern of art education. (Author)

Described is a college-level art activity that teaches aesthetic literacy to entry-level art education majors. Students are asked to bring to class and to discuss two objects--one, an art object, and the other a nonart object. The article also presents thematic categories for the generation of aesthetic concepts. (RM)

Considers the modes of education that will enable people to choose themselves as open to works of art and the responsibility of art teachers to enhance qualitative awareness, to release imagination, to free people to see, shape, and transform. (Author/RK)

This article describes the importance of architectural studies for art students. Recommends that architectural studies include historical trends, critical analysis, and studio practice. (JDH)

Describes and evaluates fifteen ideas of the value of art experience as objectives of art education; concludes that the most worthy educational objectives are (1) the development of citizens capable of responding to the entire spectrum of the visual arts, and (2) the exploration of new and better ways to coexist as human beings through the use of…

Though reproductions are a necessary teaching tool, they are not substitutes for the original work of art. Through museum visits, students can be provided with the knowledge needed to experience art. By describing, analyzing, and evaluating the works of art, students become aware of the differences between originals and reproductions. (CS)

Maintains that museum learning should be an integral part of all school art programs and should not be treated as an enrichment, a supplement, or mere resource for the classroom-based art program. Describes the programs of 35 United States art museums which go beyond the standard "walk-and-gawk" tours of the past. (JDH)

A model for the teaching of aesthetic dialogue to intermediate grade students is presented. One outcome of children discussing the aesthetic structure of art is that they transfer this learning and structure to other areas of their life. (Author/RM)

Aesthetic perception must be taught if we expect students to use it. Within a given society, the creators and viewers of art are socialized to more or less agreed upon aesthetic codes and conventions. (Author/RM)

Aesthetic education has attempted to teach art history and criticism, along with providing traditional art activities. The viability of aesthetic education is criticized, and a step beyond it is suggested. The purpose of this new direction, aesthetic literacy, is to ensure that students become knowledgeable consumers of the visual arts. (CS)

Defines aesthetic scanning, the perceptual activity that artists use when creating art and that connoisseurs use when contemplating it. Shows how to ask questions that elicit information about the sensory, formal, expressive, and technical properties of a work of art. (JDH)

An outreach program for gifted upper elementary students developed at the Hirshhorn Museum is described. Objectives are to teach visual literacy, to present the materials using the inquiry method, to use art history and criticism to develop students' looking skills, and to encourage parents to attend classes and museum visits. (RM)

Results of a summer training seminar for elementary art teachers showed that students taught by teachers trained in aesthetic education demonstrate a measurable increase in their sensitivity to aesthetic stimuli. The seminar is described and the evaluation results are discussed. (RM)

Utilizes a 17th-century Italian sculpture and an African fetish figure to illustrate essential qualities and characteristics of figurative sculpture. Points out the extreme differences and the many similarities between the two and offers explanations. Includes a process for leading students through "reading" the sculptures. (MJP)

Provides six lesson outlines to help teachers motivate high school students to discuss basic questions about the meaning and function of art, aesthetic responses cultural context, and artistic skill. Illustrates artwork from the Museum of Modern Art by Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Meret Oppenheim. (KM)