Art Education Philosophy Statement
As a future instructor responsible for the tutorial
and instruction of young minds in the exploration of art education I feel that
the best philosophical approach to teaching art coincides with the philosophy
of Art for Life. Art for life facilitates the medium of art as a social
responsibility that helps to develop within an individual a sense of self, a
sense of place, and a sense of community.
By using Art for life my aim as a teacher is to help
students prepare for success in school as well as in life, through teaching and
learning centered on art. To do this students must first be taught the basics
of art theory before they can appropriately choose how they wish to express
themselves through art. Students should develop and explore themes addressing
real issues and solve real problems that are significant beyond the classroom.
Themes should focus on who we are, where we think we belong, and our sense of
community. The creation of Art including exhibitions, demonstrations, journals,
portfolios, videos, and written or oral responses should then be used as visual
tools for exploring these themes.
Art history should be taught with the mind set that
art history is important in learning about human history. That artifacts and performances
of the past provide us with observations of themes within human nature that are
relevant in many times and places. Appropriation should be encouraged as a way
of exploring methods in art making and taught with the knowledge of how other
artists have borrowed images throughout history to create new works of art, and
the social as well as ethical issues that arise with it.
Once students have an understanding as to why artist
through out history created the works that they did and understand why they are
creating the art they choose to create, critiques can be used to asses their
knowledge and depth of learning. Structured critiques centered on viewing
finished or progressive work allows students to critically think about their
work and verbally address the conceptual ideas and themes they want to portray
visually.
In
ending I personally believe that Art is for everyone, and that everyone has the
right and should be encouraged to express him of her self visually in a manor
that is meaningful and expressive with an understanding of how other people
will respond and react to their work.