This paper examines differences between beginning and experienced art teachers' perceptions of teaching and learning. The paper first discusses how experienced and novice art teachers may vary in their thinking and approaches to instructional content. It then focuses on the results of a project that investigated curriculum development and teacher thinking through the use of concept maps. The paper notes that concept maps, often used to visually represent the relationship between ideas, may provide a way of understanding, extending, and assessing art teachers' perceptions of the relationships among art content, pedagogical strategies, student learning, and other factors that influence teaching. By comparing the varying conceptions of teaching held by beginning and experienced teachers, the paper suggests ways of enriching approaches to art teacher preparation. Contains two tables, four figures, and eight references. (BT)