Art Education Philosophy

Art is a fundamental element of human life and experience; it is a major discipline as essential to education as language arts and science.

The visual arts have been an important dimension of every culture in the history of man. Visual imagery is the root of language; therefore, visual art is a powerful tool of communication and development.

Evidence supports that the study and practice of art serves to facilitate the growth of important skills in general education including cognition, critical analysis, and psychomotor development.

Children grow in their creative capacities, creative problem solving skills, and ability to derive aesthetic judgements from the richness and complexity of the images of art.

For the elementary child, art is an important language. The child will continue to develop this language by being exposed to:

1. The development and improvement of artistic processes and techniques.

2. Connections to student's historical/cultural and social learning as it relates to the Core Curriculum.

3. Visual expression and creative problem solving.

4. Development and refining student's aesthetic awareness.

Therefore, experiences in Art Education should be structured and sequenced to provide the child with a greater appreciation and understanding of this visual language.

 

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