A walk down Main Street can be very much like a stroll through a museum gallery--visually rich, inviting unexpected choices, aesthetically rewarding. This article explores the concept of shop windows as visually ordered compositions, much like paintings and other art objects, and suggests some approaches to applying this concept in teaching a…

Contends that everyone must learn to read images because our culture is increasingly represented and perceived in visual terms. (Author/RK)

Asserts that visual literacy will increase in importance as mass communication continues to exploit the use of images as the basic conveyors of information. Explores the role of visual literacy and art production in discipline-based art education. (JDH)

Identifies concepts relevant to aesthetic literacy, suggests possible procedures for instruction, examines different interpretations of aesthetics, and presents a curriculum model for aesthetic literacy. (Author/JDH)

The definition and function of visual metaphor in selected paintings and sculptures from Picasso's works are explored. (RM)

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)

Outlines the philosophical dimensions of aesthetics, devoting particular attention to the development of a rationale for aesthetics in the public schools. (JDH)

The primary function of museums is to help museum visitors appreciate and understand what they see. Specific means and methods are suggested, e.g., informative and suggestive labels and a sales desk where the visitor can purchase reminders of what he or she has seen. (RM)

The authors review a body of theory and accumulating evidence which suggests that critical study of the arts facilitates the development of cognitive skills, including those essential to reading. (Author/SJL)

Presents a review of emerging changes in developmental psychology drawn from the research and theoretical literature. Relates these changes to the goals and methods of discipline-based art education. (JDH)

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)

Whether or not knowledge about the painter Picasso is helpful or indispensable in teaching appreciation of his art is discussed. Three studies by Denis Thomas, Mary M. Gedo, and Frank Elgar that argue that knowledge of Picasso the man helps students understand his paintings are examined. (RM)

Students in grades 1, 3, 6, and 10 viewed a selection of paintings to determine developmental stages in aesthetic judgment. Age group responses were analyzed for general characteristics and for children's ability to distinguish among standards of personal preference, community values, and technical competence. (SJL)

An aesthetically based analysis of the visual imagery of commercial television is provided, and the usefulness of television as a basis for visual aesthetic criticism in aesthetic education is considered. Directed, critical inquiry of television can extend knowledge in art and aesthetics and enhance the quality of people's lives. (RM)

Examines the role of critical language in film criticism. Compares and contrasts Monroe Beardsley's philosophy on film aesthetics with the New Criticism. Outlines some of the contributions Beardsley has made to the study of film criticism. (KM)