Research on learning in the visual arts suggests that art education must be situated in compelling personal contexts if it is to succeed in creating new ways of thinking, knowing, and representing. The personal context always has cultural dimensions. This article describes a visual art curriculum that embraces the personal context of place in a…

This is a qualitative examination of how the presentation mode of Renaissance painting--original artwork, printed reproduction, or digital reproduction--influences the critical responses of adolescents. In contrast to prior experimental research in this area, the findings of this study provide insights into the experiential dimensions of student's…

In this article, the author profiles Pierre-Auguste Renoir and describes Renoir's work of art, "Woman with Parrot". Renoir gained a reputation among peers for taking exceptional pleasure in painting, and his style was said to celebrate beauty and sensuality. He is recognized for showing significant empathy for the sitters in his portraits, and for…

Schools that bring in teaching artists often look beyond their school walls--to other sources of funding and for collaborative partnerships--to work with teaching artists from the community. For the teaching artist with an expansive vision and a willingness to try new approaches, opportunities may be opening up beyond the typical…

Strength-based approaches, originating in juvenile justice as early as the late 1800s, situate the work of juvenile correctional facilities as assisting youth in utilizing their strengths and competencies to understand how they can be applied their lives to affect change and growth. While strengths-based approaches might have originated…

In the Old Adobe Union School District in Petaluma, California, the school staff's goal is to assure that all teachers make the fundamental shift from teacher-centric to learner-centric thinking. For them, this is what distinguishes great teachers from good teachers. They believe this level of expertise takes years to develop and that schools play…

Sacred women have been portrayed throughout the history of India and Southeast Asia. Some were depicted as consorts to the Hindu gods and regarded as the necessary force that activates male energy. Other images arose out of local fertility cults and represented uncontrolled feminine energy that could be terrifying in aspect. The calmer Buddhist…

An exploration of the creative process in painting and musical composition, this kit, for use with grades 4-8, provides a structured plan that can extend over several class periods. In "Looking At Art," concentration is on one landscape painting with comparisons to related works. Historical and visual components are analyzed and works are placed…

Divided into two parts, this world directory features collections and archives of childrens' art. The first part of the volume provides information about the collections before October 1989. Entries are arranged in alphabetical order according to the French spelling of the various countries and include the following information for each entry:…

Describes an exercise in which junior year nursing students, who had just completed a course involving the introduction of nursing diagnosis, go to an art museum and look at art from the point of view of nursing diagnosis. The author examines student responses and whether certain goals were accomplished. (CT)

Describes arts-based, anchored instruction at Fair Arts IMPACT Elementary School (Columbus, Ohio), a five-week program centered around "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" (Georges Seurat). Addresses unit objectives such as understanding social climate with respect to race/gender discrimination and examining why people…

Describes a National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminar during which 15 public school teachers were exposed to new ideas concerning the use of art in their classrooms. Discusses the organization of learning experiences and the benefits derived through participation. (KO)

Discusses the life and artwork of Charles Burchfield, particularly focusing on his depiction of nature, watercolor techniques, and use of symbolism in his artwork entitled "Arctic Owl and Winter Moon." Provides lessons for philosophy, visual arts, music, natural science, language arts, and astronomy. (CMK)

Highlights the life of Leonard Koscianski, an artist who focuses on revealing the inner life of the human heart and mind in his artwork. Includes four lesson plans for grades ranging from 2 through 12: philosophy, psychology, language arts, and visual arts. Provides a copy and background about Koscianski's painting "Red Fish." (CMK)

The premise of this article is that the visual arts can provide a valuable tool for social transformation. The application of this role of the arts in community-engaged research has revealed specific challenges for developing broader assessment criteria for evaluation. This article will explore a case study of a Fine Art Masters student's…