Reviews two curriculum frameworks--one developed by Elliot Eisner and Elizabeth Vallance and the second by Henry A. Giroux, Anthony N. Penna, and William F. Pinar--as a context for reconsidering conflicting notions about nature and purpose of art teaching. Discusses discipline-based art education (DBAE), suggesting that controversies over…

Describes how children six years and older can create plaster friezes. Children were first shown examples and then drew plans before creating their own friezes. (KM)

Describes how artist Betye Saar collects technological debris that she manipulates to create her artwork. Compares her work with African art which has a long history of transforming materials from the environment into symbols and objects. Suggests activities for students to create art with debris from their environment. (KM)

Questions whether art educators are using outmoded, traditional methods in a nontraditional world. Contends that teachers must be appreciative of art's eclectic nature and its ability to help students understand contemporary society. Asserts that the relationship between the art teacher and the student must be both active and reflective. (CFR)

Describes a Chemistry and Art project developed for secondary students and teachers sponsored by the National Gallery and The Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom. Discusses aspects of the techniques used in creating five paintings as well as the chemistry involved in their making, deterioration, conservation, and restoration.…

Addresses the design of highway vehicles as one means for students to learn about forms of three-dimensional art. Focuses on the Corvette, mass-produced cars like the Chrysler Concorde, the modern semi-trailer, and an antique 1931 Dusenberg Model J Murphy Aluminum Top Coupe. (CMK)

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)

Focuses on Thomas Hart Benton, describing his house and studio in Kansas City, Missouri. Considers issues such as his life as the child of a congressman, his formal and informal art education, and his artwork. (CMK)

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)

Defines folk art and explores the ascent of folk art in the United States, focusing on (1) the fascination of mainstream artists with indigenous and intuitive art and (2) the growing interest of collectors in folk and outsider art. Reflects on folk art and art education. (CMK)

Presents a collection of activities that teach upper-elementary and middle school students about narrative devices, methods or formats that artists use to tell stories. Includes the reproductions of the artworks, background information, discussion questions, activities, and evaluation. Provides a final activity and discussion for the entire…

Provides background information on Grant Wood who was a Regional artist. Includes a list of various activities and a reproduction of Wood's painting "Spring Turning." Explores the characteristics of Wood's art that appear in this painting, such as stylization and the use of landscape views high above normal eye level. (CMK)

Discusses a fresco assignment taught during a workshop for an art history class where students created their own fresco paintings. Provides background information on the fresco technique and the materials that are used. Describes the process of creating the frescos and lists the needed materials. (CMK)

Presents an art assignment for beginning painting students in which they paint a self-portrait in the style of the German expressionists and intimate the mood through colors. Explains that the students viewed color reproductions of work by German expressionists and aspects of art history related to the German expressionists. (CMK)

Presents a three-dimensional art project for middle-school students in which they create sculptures of plaster cloth and wire. The introduction explains that they learn about Alexander Calder, a master of using wire in art. Discusses how to make the sculptures. (CMK)