Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000), an artist with different ideas of architecture, envisioned colorful buildings that incorporate organic shapes and forms, irregular patterns, uneven surfaces, and forests that grow from windows and rooftops. As early as the mid-20th century, Hundertwasser dealt with architecture in ways that offered…

Today several contemporary artists are using their artistic talents to help bring attention to the immigration debate. Westover School, the independent school where author Sara Poskas teaches, decided to address these issues by inviting one such artist--award-winning artist and architect Mohamad Hafez, a native-born Syrian, raised in the Kingdom…

Socially engaged artwork challenges viewers to ask critical questions about society, to dialogue about issues that affect quality of life, and to question how art is considered. Art educators can provide opportunity to discuss and respond artistically to issues within their communities. One way to approach this is through place-based educational…

Many airports have transformed empty waiting spaces into mini malls, children's play areas, and displays of beautiful art, making a long wait a bit more pleasant. For the modern airport, showcasing art has become an important component, with perks including a built-in global audience, as well as the vast spaces of modern architecture. For the art…

Problem solving is essential to everyone's life. People survive if they are nourished, sheltered, and protected--and they construct ways to obtain nourishment, shelter, and protection through problem solving. Though problems vary in complexity--survival at the one end and the pursuit of comfort at the other--we are reliant on our ability to…

Hatshepsut (1479-1458 B.C.E) ruled New Kingdom Egypt for roughly 20 years as one of the few female pharaohs in the history of ancient Egypt. Her rule began when her husband died and her stepson was too young to be pharaoh. To legitimize her role as pharaoh, Hatshepsut began a significant building campaign by constructing numerous images, temples,…

This article presents a micro-ethnographic study that took place during a summer research course for six undergraduate and four graduate students majoring in the disciplines of architecture, art education, geography, landscape architecture and an integrative arts program. The research sought to implement ethnographic, visual methods as a means to…

Art reveals to us the face of man and the places where that face resides. How different cultures use the senses of place and environment, both natural and man-made, is considered. (IS)

If we hope to make history more relevant in art education, it behooves us to re-examine current historiographic techniques and interpretations. In dealing with the historical dimension of environmental design, three areas of concern are considered: 1) the lack of published works integrating design areas, 2) selective interpreting of environmental…

Outlines the content and activities of a three-unit, ten-week minicourse for junior high school students on architectural awareness. (SJL)

The author describes the history, theories, and methods of the German institution called the Bauhaus, which he considers to be the basic influence on American studio art education in the last 50 years. (Author/SJL)

As a classroom teacher of art, the author questions the definitive ends that often accompany progressive enterprises in education. He questions the pressure he has experienced to reduce curricular possibilities and learning outcomes to the space of a single document. He argues that planning a learning outcome is "not" an architectural…

Described is a project that involved a junior high school art class in studying architecture and city planning and in making images of a city with paper cutouts on a bulletin board. (RM)

This article describes the importance of architectural studies for art students. Recommends that architectural studies include historical trends, critical analysis, and studio practice. (JDH)