Over the centuries, changes in technology and education have transformed people's attitudes towards the arts, making them more accessible. Bohemianism and modern art in the 18th century challenged the elitist perception of the arts, democratizing access. Digital tools and online resources have further opened doors to creating and experiencing…

Art critics and scholars have acknowledged the breakdown of their explanations and narratives of contemporary art in the face of what they consider the incoherent era of "pluralism" or "postmodernism" that began in the late twentieth century. This failure is in fact a result of their inability to understand the nature of the development of…

In this article, the author analyzes Arthur Efland's "Art and Cognition," which advocates study of the visual arts for its cognitive benefits. The author argues that Efland's cognitive premises are largely sound but that his specific recommendations often belie the general principles he espouses. Efland focuses on the interpretation of baffling…

This paper describes postmodern theory as a paradigm composed of concepts and ideas. It does not describe postmodern theory as if it were developed logically from a simple premise, because it was not, nor can the postmodern paradigm be described in neat, concise terms. The paper presents a review and explication of postmodernism's theoretical…

In this paper, the author asserts that current efforts to transform art education into visual culture studies (VCS) constitute a deeply disturbing educational trend. She asserts that, much like the now largely discredited developments in literary studies of recent decades (whose bankruptcy it apparently ignores), this movement aims quite…

Provides information on Penelope Siopis and offers a list of activities that can accompany the study of Siopis and her painting "Unrequited." Includes a reproduction of "Unrequited" and a detailed discussion on the painting itself, addressing her techniques, her various influences, and the painting's subject matter. (CMK)

This paper explores the question of introducing a critical pedagogy of representation into the art classroom, what it means and how it works. A critical pedagogy of representation holds socially transformatoryugoals that work toward a critical democracy. The approach affords opportunity for oppositional readings of texts and images by opening up…

This report documents the proceedings from the second series of regional roundtable discussions sponsored by the Getty Center for Education in the Arts. These roundtables were established to provide a forum in which people could discuss aspects of Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE). The topics of these roundtables were as follows: Roundtable I…

Murals created by Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros embody a time of change in Mexico. The murals they created were intended to educate an illiterate population. Today these murals embody national pride. The goal of this curriculum project is rooted in learning about the history, culture, and art of Mexico. The project…

This collection of working papers in art education is comprised of manuscripts by graduate students presented at the National Art Education Conference. Papers in this issue reflect several educational settings and geographic areas. The 22 articles include: (1) "Symbolic Meanings in the Ghanaian Arts: A Step Towards Developing Cultural Literacy"…

This report documents the proceedings from a series of four regional roundtable discussions sponsored by the Getty Center for Education in the Arts. Representatives including arts educators, educational leaders, school administrators, artists, elected officials, and arts organization members were brought together to discuss practical aspects of…

Describes a game designed to motivate students to conduct art historical research. Required students to find artists who created art in four different ways, realistically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Students chose ways to take collected data and work cooperatively to create a mural. (KM)

Describes and illustrates "Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth. Provides background information on Wyeth's life and compares "Christina's World" to Wyeth's "Siri." Suggests activities to help all levels of art students understand use of color, mood, and composition. Introduces related activities designed specifically…

Describes the creation of a traveling art museum to expose elementary and middle school children to contemporary art. Maintains that this is a sound way to build school and community support for art education in general. (KM)

This introductory volume of the five-part series, "Disciplines in Art Education: Contexts of Understanding," provides a philosophical rationale for the idea of discipline-based art education. The idea models humanistic fundamentals by answering the basic human needs to communicate and share experiences with others (art making), find a place in…