For centuries societies have understood the importance of art in relationship to other disciplines. Many great artists were also writers and poets. Many artists were well educated in classical literature from which they drew inspiration for paintings and sculptures. The document argues that the obvious meeting place for the two disciplines of art and language is the field of art criticism. Here students may combine art and whole language skills. In four sections this document: (1) reviews the tenets of whole language philosophy; (2) argues that art is a whole language that holds the same tenets as whole language; (3) explains art criticism as a system or model for talking about art in a whole language way; and (4) provides an exercise in art criticism. The document contains brief models of art criticism, a list of resources, and seven references. (MM)