Articulate 2

This weeks observations made me think the purpose of the art room. The Corcorans Art Ed program encourages a broad and considered use of the arts that include studio, art history, art criticism, and aesthetics. The Corcoran program also encourages using art to teach subjects or issues such as character development, math, science, etc.

In all except one of my observations, studio is all that has been attended to. This is not a criticism. I have not spent much time in any of these places and a large portion of my observations were with Kindergarteners who were not ready for a full discussion on aesthetics. It is an observation that makes me wonder if studio is the basis of most school art programs. (I would like to add that Ms. Dorothy, at WVSA, was the only teacher who taught an art history lesson or present anything.)

The Articulate classroom is unique from other classes, and it may be that studio work is the most suited for the purpose of this program, but here is a another classroom to observe. As a teaching style, Jude seems to have a running philosophic narrative about art and life that his students may or may not relate to. The classes have an organic flow. Jude seems to teach one on one versus giving group instruction. Today that individualized attention included drawing on a students work.

For Jude technique is important. Showing a student how to develop observation skills and how to create an accurate visual representation is a part of students artistic development. But, I don't know about drawing on someone's work. Maybe as a teacher you learn which students this is a effective for, maybe you ask first, but personally I remember being very uncomfortable when teachers would do this to my work. I will reflect more.

From one perspective, the studio art room can focus on mastery of skill, from an alternate perspective, the expression and comprehension of visual language may have more emphasis. I agree with the Corcoran philosophy: exploit art for all it is capable of, and if time and energy permit, I agree with designing lessons with purpose. Not all students will be fine representational artists, or artists at all, but nevertheless students can learn from or take pleasure in the arts when education is made available and the classroom experiences are more encouraging than discouraging.