Art education is the area of learning that is based upon the visual, tangible arts—  Discipline Based Art
 Discipline Based Art Education (DBAE) came to favor in the United States during the
drawing, painting, sculpture, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc. and
design applied to more practical fields such as commercial graphics and home
furnishings. Contemporary topics include photography, video, film, design, computer
art, etc.
Historically art was taught in Europe via the atelier Method system where artists' took
on apprentices who learned their trade in much the same way as any guild such as the
Masons (stonemasons or goldsmiths etc.). The first art schools were established in 400
BC Greece as mentioned by Plato. During the Renaissance formal training took place
in art studios. Historically, design has had some precedence over the fine arts with
schools of design being established all over Europe in the 18th century. Education in
art takes place across the life-span. Children, youth, and adults learn about art in
community based institutions and organizations such as museums, local arts agencies,
recreation centers, places of worship, social service agencies, and prisons among many
other possible venues.
Within art schools "visual arts education" encompasses all the visual and performing
arts delivered in a standards-based, sequential approach by a qualified instructor as
part of the core curriculum. Its core is the study of inseparable artistic and aesthetic
experience and learning.
Approaches
There are thousands of arts education curricular models or models for arts or arts-based
professional development for teachers that schools and community organizations use. Some
assert that the core discipline of Western art education is the practice of drawing, a model which
has existed since the Renaissance. This is an empirical activity which involves seeing,
interpreting and discovering appropriate marks to reproduce an observed phenomena. It can be
asserted that other art activities involve imaginative interpretation. [citation needed] Others would assert
though, that issue based approaches, such as a visual culture approach to art education, define K-
12 art learning today.
Prominent models include:
 A sixfold model divided into "Creative-Productive, Cultural-Historical and Critical-
Responsive” components in Canada
1980s and 1990s, and it focused on specific skills including techniques, art criticism
and art history.
 Current literature in the United states has shifted away from DBAE but many
classrooms still use this model. Others have shifted to visual culture and diversity
models.
 Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) is a theory that began in the 1970s in the United
States. TAB suggests that students should be the artists and so guided on their own
individual artistic interests through technique lessons and critiques, while being
exposed to art history as it relates to their own work.
 In the UK the art curriculum is prescribed by the government's National Curriculum
except in public or fee paying schools.
In most systems, “criticism” is understood to be criteria-based-analysis established on
acknowledged elements of composition and principles of design which often vary in their verbal
articulation, between the different art discipline forms (applied, fine, performing, & etc.) and
their many schools. Other art educational systems include the study of Aesthetics, ontology,
semantics, studio praxis (empirical investigation) and phenomenology. There is no set art
education curriculum content - it is a process of continual often acrimonious cultural
negotiation.
Some studies show that strong art education programs have demonstrated increased student
performance in other academic areas, due to art activities' exercising their brains' right
hemispheres and delateralizing their thinking. [1] Also see Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right
Side of the Brain. Support for art education, however, varies greatly between communities and
between schools in various cultures.
Art education is not limited to formal educational institutions. Some professional artists
specialize in private or semi-private instruction in their own studios. One form of this teaching
style is the Atelier Method as exemplified by Gustave Moreau who taught Picasso, Braque and
many other artists. Another is an artist apprenticeship in which the student learns from a
professional artist while assisting the artist with their work.
The Netherlands
Art education in schools is in The Netherlands strongly improved by the founding of the Dutch
Art Teachers Association in 1880 and their Magazine (in 1881). In the seventies of last century
were national examinations common in almost all secondary schools. Over the years struggles
and problems, discussions about the right way and fights for equal qualification supposedly
coloured the history of art education in the Netherlands as in other countries. The details
however are of great interest for who will compare these developments with those in his own
country. The painter Maarten Krabbé (1908–2005) changed the whole approach towards
children drawing and painting. With his books on how to educate children in their free
expression (Hidden possibilities | Verborgen Mogelijkheden (8 volumes | delen),
uitbeeldingsmogelijkheden voor jonge handen (Sijthoff, Leiden 1961)) he changed the entire
educational landscape. He showed how to handle the very delicate talents of children and how to
treasure these.
United States
Main article: Art education in the United States
The study of art appreciation in America began with the Picture Study Movement in the late
19th century and began to fade at the end of the 1920s. Picture study was an important part of
the art education curriculum. Attention to the aesthetics in classrooms led to public interest in
beautifying the school, home, and community, which was known as “Art in Daily Living”. The
idea was to bring culture to the child to change the parents. [2] The picture study movement died
out at the end of the 1920s as a result of new ideas regarding learning art appreciation through
studio work became more popular in the United States.
American educational philosopher and school reformer John Dewey was influential in
broadening access to art education in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Since World War II, there has been an increasing in the academic and intellectual focus of artist
training through colleges and universities displacing quaintly bohemian, craft-intensive schools
like the Art Students League of New York (Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko) or Black
Mountain College (Robert Rauschenberg) or the Hans Hofmann School of Art in Greenwich
Village. By the 60's, Yale had emerged as the leading American art academy (Chuck Close,
Brice Marden, Richard Serra, Jennifer Bartlett and Robert Mangold)[3]
Enrollment in art classes at the high school level peaked in the late 1960s—early 1970s, but with
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (which retains the arts as part of the "core curriculum", but does
not require reporting or assessment data on this area) there has been decline of arts education in
American public schools. The United States Department of Education now awards Arts in
Education Model Development and Dissemination grants to support organizations with art
expertise in their development of artistic curricula. After 2010, an estimate of 25% of the
nation's public high schools will end all art programs. [citation needed]
National organizations promoting arts education include Americans for the Arts [4] including Art.
Ask For More.,[5] its national arts education public awareness campaign; Association for the
Advancement of Arts Education; Arts Education Partnership.; [6]
Professional organizations for art educators include the National Art Education Association,[7]
which publishes the practitioner's magazine Art Education and the research journal Studies in
Art Education; USSEA (the United States Society for Education through Art) and InSEA (the
International Society for Education through Art).[8]
Current Trends in Theory and Scholarship
The domain of art education is broadening to include a wider range of visual and popular
culture. Current trends in scholarship employ postmodern and visual culture approaches to art
education,[9][10] consider effects of globalism on the production and interpretation of images [11]
and focus renewed interest on issues of creativity. [12] Within the NAEA, research and
publications are being geared toward issues of learning, community, advocacy, research and
knowledge.[13]
Art education programs at major research institutions that are addressing these trends in the
United States include Florida State University,[14] Ohio State University,[15] Northern Illinois
University,[16] Pennsylvania State University,[17] Indiana University, Bloomington[18] and the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[19]
Arts Education includes four separate and distinct disciplines: dance, music, theatre arts and
visual arts - each with its own body of knowledge and skills. The intent of the National
Standards for Arts Education along with the standard courses of study in dance, music, theatre
arts and visual arts is that a comprehensive understanding of one or more of the arts be
accomplished by each student throughout the K-12 program. Arts education benefits both
student and society. Involving the "whole child" in the arts gradually teaches many types of
literacy while developing intuition, sensitivity, reasoning, imagination, and dexterity. Arts
education helps students perceive and think in new ways. The arts also help provide and extend
meaning (NCSCS, 2000). Learning in the arts nurtures active engagement, disciplined and
sustained attention, persistence, and risk-taking. Arts education also increases attendance and
educational aspirations. (Critical Links, 2002).
Importance of Art Education in Schools engaging in art activities is a must for children for their social, emotional, intellectual and
personal development.
It is observed that children who are engaged in art activities, develop a better understanding of
other subjects, right from languages to geography to even science. Studies have shown that
students who are exposed to any of the forms of creative expression, be it music, painting, or
drama, on an average achieve higher scores in standardized tests. Some other findings suggest The Importance of Arts Education
that students engaged in an arts program in school are much more unlikely to drop out of school
compared to those who are not into any kind of arts. The arts are essential to every child's education, which is why the arts are one of the core
academic subjects in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Some schools, facing tight local
Creativity
During art programs, students are often given materials and asked to draw whatever they feel budgets, are cutting arts programs and blaming the cuts on NCLB. In a letter to state and local
like. Such free flowing art activities foster creativity in children and help in developing their superintendents, Secretary of Education Rod Paige said that cutting arts is "disturbing and just
imagination as well as decision making skills.
plain wrong."
Interpretation Skills
During art appreciation classes, students are made to interpret and draw conclusions from Similar to English, math, science and the other core subjects, the arts (dance, music, theater, and
various pieces of art. This strengthens their interpretation skills and they can use the same in visual arts) are challenging subjects with rigorous content and achievement standards at the state
other subjects as well as in all other aspects of life.
and national levels. They require highly qualified teachers who challenge all students, not just
Critical Thinking and Communication Skills those who are considered artistically talented, to perform works of art, create their own works,
Art develops a child's intelligence. Studies have shown that exposure of children to art helps in
promoting brain activity. A child learns how to problem solve. He also learns how to convey his and respond to works of art and the ideas they impart.
thoughts and ideas in numerous ways. During art classes, various pieces of art are discussed in
detail. This discussion makes the students capable of expressing themselves well during debates In addition to studying the arts for their own sake, experiencing and making works of art
or in speech classes.
benefits students in their intellectual, personal, and social development, and can be particularly
Personality Development beneficial for students from economically disadvantaged circumstances and those who are at
Art forms such as drama activities develop the overall personality of a child. They build a child's
risk of not succeeding in school. Research studies point to strong relationships between learning
self esteem and make him disciplined. A child due to his engagement in art becomes much more
creative and innovative. He develops motivation and also learns how to cooperate with others. in the arts and fundamental cognitive skills and capacities used to master other core subjects,
including reading, writing, and mathematics.
People Skills
The importance of art education for children can be understood from the fact that engaging in art
Tools for Teachers:
activities gives the child a better understanding of human nature. A child develops sensitivity
and becomes considerate enough to think from the other's point of view. He starts respecting
other people's feelings and thoughts. The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is a national coalition of arts, education, business,
philanthropic and government organizations that demonstrates and promotes the essential role of
Observational Skills
Art activities for children improve their observational skills. For example, the skills that are the arts in the learning and development of every child and in the improvement of America's
required to draw a sketch of a house are the same that are required to understand the solar schools. With support from the Department of Education and the National Endowment for the
system or to figure out why a particular classmate is behaving in so and so manner.
Arts, AEP maintains a comprehensive Web site (www.aep-arts.org) of its reports, including:
Inquisitive Spirit
Kids art activities make them curious. A child learns how to question things by participating in Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development, which is
arts. After drawing a sketch, if a child does not like the final outcome, he erases and re-draws a research compendium that reviews 62 studies of arts learning in dance, drama, music, multiple
certain portions. Thus, he learns "trial and error" through art and uses the same in real life
situations. arts, and visual arts. Interpretive essays examine the implications of the body of studies in each
of these areas, and an overview essay explores the issue of the transfer of learning in the arts to
The importance of art education can be understood from the fact that the whole of human history
that we know of today, has been conveyed to us through various art forms such as literature, other academic and social skills. A Critical Links Tool Kit is available at www.aep-
music, visual arts, dance and drama. Art transcends all boundaries be it geographical or cultural. arts.org/resources/toolkits/criticallinks/.*
Art can bring imagination to life and give life to imagination. So to conclude it can be said that
No Subject Left Behind: A Guide to Arts Education Opportunities in the 2001 NCLB Act , Types
which is a guide for state and local arts and education leaders to learn more about the federal No
o Arts education includes the visual and performing arts. Visual arts involve
Child Left Behind Act and the multiple opportunities for arts education. It provides a brief
creation of art objects, such as paintings and sculpture. Performing arts
overview of the legislation, including where to find specific references to the arts, descriptions
involve presentations, such as dancing or acting.
of individual programs with arts-specific examples that have received funding, a
Significance
^^^^^^^^The importance of art education,is for us to evaluate our selves on how we connect
with our sorroundings. o According to the results of a Harris Poll published by Americans for the
Arts, 93% of Americans surveyed feel that the arts are important enough to
Also to inhance and matterialize our artful hearts desires.
be taught. (See References 1)
And able for us to see and appreciate the creation of our God, which is also made for us to use
Considerations
and appreciate.
o Quality arts programs are those that meet academic standards including art
what is art education?
history, criticism, aesthetics, production or performance and
Art education is the area of learning that is based upon the visual, tangible arts-drawing, interdisciplinary connections. (See References 4)
painting, sculpture, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc and design applied to
Effects
more practical fields such as commercial graphics and home furnishings.
o Ohio Arts Education Research reports that improvements in arts learning,
Why is Arts Education Important?
instructional delivery and the overall school environment was seen when the
A strong arts education promotes the skills children need to be successful. Exposure to art arts were placed on equal footing with other subjects. (See References 2)
education promotes self-directed learning, improves school attendance and sharpens critical and
Benefits
creative skills. In fact, several recent studies have concluded that the creativity and innovation
utilized in the artistic process will be highly valued by employers in the United States in the o According to Teacher News, "Critical thinking skills learned in art seem to
coming years as we continue to shift into a global economy. transfer to other content areas, thus impacting learning across the
curriculum." (See References 3)
Research indicates that students become more responsible for their own learning, and critical
thinking skills are promoted, when quality arts education programs are included in the
curriculum.