Materials, making, and objects are important parts of an ecology of meaningful learning and teaching in art that must accompany the development of concept and social impact. New materialist theory suggests that matter matters to how life is lived, while emphasizing that animacy is inherent not only to what we think of as animate beings but to all…

The practices of artists and the field of artistic production is an iterative space--a rapidly evolving network of ideas and dialogic strategies, as well as collaborative and interdisciplinary practices. Artists function at the intersection of many disciplines as researchers, activists, and problem solvers. These practices provide an imperative to…

Just as students should leave their Foundational year of art with a beginning sense of composition, color, value, and materials, so should they be cultivating their creative capacities. With the equipment exercised and the waters tested, students will be prepared to continue their journey; for it is the interplay of personal experience, social…

In this article, I examine strategies for teaching students to make socially conscious art using a variety of media that emphasizes installation work. I present issues of social justice in the contemporary art world and include concerns of censorship that artists sometimes confront. I offer examples of team taught coordinated studies programs…

Printmaking has always been one of the author's favorite units to teach. The beauty of the subject is that a process exists for every grade level from kindergarten through 12, and in the lower grades, much of what is used can be inexpensive or donated discards. This article describes how fifth-grade students made polyfoam printing.

The textiles of Africa are rich with possibilities for art lessons. With their unique balance of color, pattern, symmetry and repetition, they lend themselves to exciting art lessons with cultural significance. Asante cloth--or Kente cloth, as it is commonly known--is a perfect example. These rich, colorful repeat patterns from Ghana are woven in…

This article describes why art educators might consider studying material forms from everyday life, presents suggestions for exploring them in an art classroom, and includes an example to illustrate teaching about an object of material culture. The author presents reasons for studying material culture in the art classroom and offers suggestions…

This brief article describes how a Anne Young taught her students to make a monoprint out of a coffee filter. A monoprint is a one-of-a-kind picture. This lesson taught students to use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.

Offers practical advice for teaching art in early childhood classrooms. Encourages respect for children's individual artistic style. Discusses paints and markers, blocks, fingerpaints, bubbles, collages, and other art materials. Includes recipes for fingerpaint. (GH)

Describes a schoolwide parade that was the culminating event of a three-week unit of study into the world of masks by elementary students. Unit emphasized the use of exaggeration, repetition, and symmetry in maskmaking. Provides examples of student work. (DB)

Presents a high school art teacher's views of and experiences with masks. Outlines a maskmaking activity in which students were required to create variations on existing masks. Emphasizes use of experimental materials. Displays examples of student-created masks. (DB)

Describes an honors-level fine arts seminar that culminates in the creation of an 'unnamed' object. Stresses direct manipulation of materials leading to works free of conceptual pre-determination. Argues that naming follows creation; leaving a work unnamed allows artists to experience the dynamic of creation. (NB)

Outlines several methods for students at elementary levels to use cut-out lettering. Describes a name creation project, a scrabble bulletin board, and methods to teach the language arts. Maintains that, if students use their own letterforms in the classroom, they will be more involved in learning. (KM)

Examines an unusual approach to aesthetic education utilizing open-ended philosophical inquiries (conundrums) to facilitate class discussions. The conundrums were submitted by artists, gallery owners, and teachers. Results showed the approach to be an effective adjunct to instruction, provided the teachers could refrain from "filling in"…