"The aim of art education in the public schools
is not to make more professional artists but
to teach people to live happier, fuller lives;
to extract more out of their experience,
whatever that experience may be."
~Grant Wood~
Why did I become a visual art educator?
I became a visual art educator because I discovered at a young age the value of the visual arts in my daily life. The act of creating art helped me to create my own identity. The process of developing an idea and seeing that idea come to fruition by my own hand gave me a sense of accomplishment unequaled in any other educational experience I recall. The lessons I learned through art I find
applicable within every other aspect of my life and learning.
What do I believe about visual art education?
I believe that visual art education is an integral part of a student’s complete education. I have come to believe through personal experience that the arts teach a student to make decisions and problem-solve. The arts harbor a sense of value and accomplishment. The arts help foster an individual sense of identity which in turn helps a student develop as an individual.
What will a student in my class come to experience and learn?
A student in my classroom will encounter a multitude of art media from 2-dimensional to technology. They will participate in the artistic process from
an idea’s inception to creation through reflection and critique to exhibition.
My students will explore the history of art and its impact on the contemporary. They will “learn to say what cannot be said” and have an “experience we can have from no other source” which will enable them to “discover the range and variety of what we are capable of feeling.” The artists that develop in my class will leave with an appreciation of the arts that transcends skills but
infuses itself into aspects of their everyday life.
What impact will my class have on the life of a child?
I endeavor to provide a foundation for my students that will help them as they mature as artists and as individuals. Through their experiences as an artist, critic and reflective observer they will learn many lessons that will aid them in their development. It is my belief that through experiences in my class
they will come to know the importance of the visual arts
in today’s societyand how it contributes to
every aspect of our daily life.
"How important are the visual arts in our society?
I feel strongly that the visual arts are of vast and incalculable importance.
Of course I could be prejudiced.
I am a visual art.”
~Kermit the Frog~
Eisner, E. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind. Yale Univercity Press.
Wood, G. (1940). Art in the Daily Life of the Child. Rural America , 7-9.