Context is everything. Very little in art or in history (or in life) happens in isolation, although works of art and events in history have been studied this way. This is especially true of the arts, which are so intrinsically connected to the cultures from which they emerge. This essential interconnectivity was also the premise behind the design…

The arts disciplines (visual arts, music, theatre, and dance) merit and require formal study. Policy makers should support studies in the arts as core disciplines, as specified in the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)," the federal legislation that sets policy and appropriations for public education. The arts merit and…

The author states his belief that art education is more than developing art products, and that as long as the art product is the goal, rather than the educating of the child through the visual arts concepts, the potential of this discipline as a tool for learning will remain diminished. (Author/KC)

Offers a rationale for teaching art history as an integral part of the K-12 curriculum. Maintains that art history instruction should begin in kindergarten. Includes sections on the relationship between art history, art production, art criticism, and aesthetics. (JDH)

This article offers a curriculum scheme which responds to the nonverbal and intuitive character of learning in the visual arts and which is framed to deal specifically with content in the visual arts. (Author/SJL)

What images should we study? Which have value? Which are significant? These questions lie at the heart of one of the most critical issues in art education today in the debate over whether the field should maintain a narrow focus on fine art or expand its scope to include all of visual culture. In this article, I argue for the inclusion of…

Reasons why art education should be concerned with contemporary visual culture are examined. Three ways the art curriculum can be restructured to respond critically to visuals such as photographs, advertising, television, and rock videos are outlined. (RM)

In this paper some of the distinctive qualities of the arts are reviewed and implications for curriculum and evaluation are discussed. For this discussion the visual arts serve as the exemplar from the several arts for discussion of subject content, learning, and assessment. (Author)

Aims to foster among art educators and students an awareness of how many contemporary artists are promoting ecological restoration. Grounds these artists' work historically, and discusses its view of humanity as interconnected with nature. Offers suggestions for involving art educators and students in ecological theory and artistic creation. (DSK)

The elementary secondary curriculum in the United States could benefit from redefining the arts as a discipline to be interwoven into the school's curriculum. Four essays in this issue explore the question of the arts in education. John Holdren comments in "Will the Band Play On?" that music educators must stress the serious study of music as its…

Recent research indicates that the taught curriculum in art and design secondary school education pays scant attention to meaning-making in visual art. This article explores possibilities for teaching interpretation through a report on an action-research project based on Tate Modern's Summer Institute for Teachers. In doing so it argues for the…

Discusses the future of art education in relation to changing demographics, technologies, values, and art forms. Reiterates two basic theories of art education: a separate subject with a defined place in the curriculum or a decentralized approach in which teacher involvement in the planning process has priority. (GG)

Illustrates how historical art education metaphors objectify and stereotype the environment through landscape art. Proposes a new metaphor of art teaching, ecological pedagogy, as a means of critiquing stereotypes and of promoting compassionate and caring representations of the environment. Offers strategies for implementing an ecological art…

This paper focuses on the cognitive and social functions of art and the role that art plays in communicating social and personal values. It shows how art criticism can play an important part in the education of all students by fostering critical thinking related to art history, art production, and aesthetics. (Author/JDH)

States that the critical work for art educators will continue to be curriculum development and implementation. Claims that an emergent issue for art education is a community-relevant, developmentally appropriate curriculum. Discusses issues facing curriculum developers and outlines criteria for the art education curriculum. (GG)