Contends that design basics are fundamental for anyone who has worked in art education for some time; yet, there is disagreement about basic design results. Discusses the history of design and design education. Asserts that the question art educators face is whether to continue what began as a form of moral control over artwork. (CFR)

Compares the place of physical education and art education in the school curriculum. Claims that physical education deadens feelings and that a healthy democracy needs compassion, imagination, and interconnectedness. Concludes that to reassert education for democracy there needs to be a replacement of the dominant ethos of the football machines…

Considers the true value of art by outlining a number of factors that determine the price of a painting including the fame of the artist, the time of the artist's death, and the age of the work. Concludes that students should be encouraged to consider the emotional, aesthetic, and intellectual worth rather than the monetary value. (KM)

Reviews the political controversy regarding the National Endowment for the Arts and the relationship of art to human existence. Argues that art is an essential aspect of the human spirit. Proposes a definition of art as human activity that illuminates the universal qualities of a particular action or experience. (CFR)

Considers concepts and terminologies that focus on generalizations concerning traditional African art and cultures. Argues that alternative concepts and terminologies should be used in developing curriculum and in teaching non-Western art. Discusses traditional African religious beliefs, primitivism, and the function of African art objects. (KM)

Described is a college-level art activity that teaches aesthetic literacy to entry-level art education majors. Students are asked to bring to class and to discuss two objects--one, an art object, and the other a nonart object. The article also presents thematic categories for the generation of aesthetic concepts. (RM)

Explores ways that art education projects can illuminate and address issues of sustainable development, ecology, and waste disposal. Describes projects undertaken by a high school art class. Includes references to books concerning ecology, values, and culture. (MJP)

Explores the use of analogies in architectural design, the importance of Gestalt theory and aesthetic cannons in understanding and being sensitive to architecture. Emphasizes the variation between public and professional appreciation of architecture. Notes that an understanding of architectural process enables students to improve the aesthetic…

Explores approaches to art-making, art criticism, and aesthetics as applied to conceptual art. Describes a one-day workshop with gifted secondary students to analyze socially critical art. Illustrates how artworks initially classified as provocative or prohibitive in the classroom can become more comprehensible to students. (CFR)

A model for the teaching of aesthetic dialogue to intermediate grade students is presented. One outcome of children discussing the aesthetic structure of art is that they transfer this learning and structure to other areas of their life. (Author/RM)

Describes a one-week residency program for art educators at Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed retreat in western Pennsylvania. Discusses the significance of the architecture on the goals and outcomes of the program. Asserts that the experience encouraged the participants to include architecture education in their art education programs.…

Examines the five progressive stages of Michael Parson's model for understanding aesthetic development: (1) favoritism; (2) beauty and realism; (3) expressiveness; (4) style and form; and (5) autonomy. Argues that the model can be applied to all ages. Uses Parsons' model to show how a congresswoman's level of aesthetic development can influence…

Examines postmodernist art and its impact on architecture and visual art in the United States. States that this genre of art has affected dramatically object art, such as furniture design. Contends that postmodernism can be traced through societal and personal histories. (CFR)

Discusses how art and mythology both function to reawaken perception. Describes how the use of myth can impart to students very real human reactions and feelings. Maintains that art educators are responsible for enabling and empowering students with the wonders of mythology. (KM)

Maintains that one of the ongoing challenges of art education is to encourage the correct and effective use of terminology. Discusses expressionism, particularly in relation to landscape painting. Includes discussion of the background, techniques, and full-page color illustrations of four works by major expressionist painters. (CFR)