American Art Education in 1980s through today 2012 - Research Paper Example

American Art Education in 1980s through today (2012) History of Art Education in America reveals that Art Education developed major changes in 1980s. Scholars and Getty Centre for Education in Art developed a curriculum that addressed about 200 issues. Foster in publishing his article argues that though art was established in the twentieth century after 1980s, it has founded its roots earlier before the said date (1). The development led to the formation of DBAE (Discipline Based Art Education). Although the elements adopted by DBAE were not new in art education, there was no uniformity in teaching art education. The move to institute uniform art education program addressed issues such as teaching materials, teachers training, curriculum guide, and books among other issues. Previously, art education in America did not address issues like teacher training, which influence the system adopted by teachers in teaching art education. In 1980s, art curriculum for K-12 focused on progressive education and self-expression. Through this education, American technology education on art was founded, which is based on the cultural industrial education history (Foster 2). This focus addressed the need to develop art talent in children while nurturing their natural abilities. Art teachers taught painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, and other forms of art skills. The result of this approach was quite impressive. Many children were able to grasp the skills and produce aesthetic work. Another notable thing with revising of the art education curriculum in 1980s is that it revitalized art education. Art education looked at history, traditional systems, and broader aspect of art to make art education interesting to pupils and the teachers. The 1980s curriculum stressed on art making while blending it with studies of art history, aesthetics, and criticism. The art education curriculum of 1980s did stress on visual art education. Notably, many art students start by learning art through visual art. Apparently, the current visual art education curriculum is similar to the curriculum of 1980s. In 1990s, art education in United States had some new development. For instance, in visual art education, researchers of art education argued that everyday realities and personal realities would bring diversity to art education. This argument led to the push for more realistic studies in art over the formal system. Notably, art education in 1990s has emphasized the need for visual art in all aspect of art education (Mary 5). Curriculum developed to cater for the needs of pupils and students in post primary schools address current issues. For instance, visual art stresses on current events or realities. In other words, the curriculum does not stress on abstract art. The 1990s art education curriculum identified the need to incorporate place based art education. This is a reform in art education since it exempts traditional aspect of art education in previous decades. Another important observation about art education in 1990s is that art education incorporated other disciplines such as history, current environmental events among others in the art curriculum (Keyon 2). Scholars and lovers of art argued that this approach gave the learner the ability to use art to solve current issues in the society. For instance, music art education takes place in special classes while addressing current events in the society. In 1990s, art curriculum has developed various degree programs in art, which address individual needs (Mary 7). Other than professional development programs introduced in 1990s, art studies have created room for students to choose from a wide range of programs. Art education development led to the visual culture experienced today in art schools. Educators and stakeholders in art emphasized on the use of technology in visual art. For instance, National Standard, which was introduced in 1995 as per the California Teaching Standards has become a top producer in weld wire and several industrial wire products of high technology. This has made North America, through National Standards set standards for consistent and quality art works. This learning thus cultivates the learner, building several literacy skills and at the same time developing intuition, reasoning, creativity, and dexterity in a special manner. However, emphasis or development of visual culture has not disrupted art curriculum in K-12 stage. Painting, sculpture, art making and music have characterized the early stages of art education in primary schools. Another profound development in 2000s in art education is the role of objects in influencing art education. Art teachers use objects demonstrate the state of art in the classroom work (Valenti 2). Art museums are part of teaching resources used in 2000s to teach art to students. Considerations such purpose, goals and outcome of the art education has influenced art education curriculum in 2000. Largely, these considerations have made art education to conform with currents issues and needs in the society. It is arguable that developmental changes in art are stilling taking place and many art programs developed today depend on state of technology. For instance, teaching visual arts in schools have led to introduction of graphic art designs, which the current curriculum tends to address. Through these visual arts, Valenti believes that children have been taught on how to make use of their own creativity (2). As he put is across in her article, children are taught how to paint through Rock Thoughts process, which starts by painting rocks. (2). Researchers in art believe that this trend tend to nurture skills and talents of art students as well as incorporating technology of the day. The current art education curriculum tends to emphasis on visual art. Visual art curriculum spread from pre-school through the elementary schools to universities (Keyon 1). The focus of this curriculum emphasizes on issue based art education as opposed to traditional systems. In addition, visual culture takes the larger chunk of representation owing to the fact that visual art is dynamic. The curriculum of art education today looks at classroom production in perpetuating moral responsibility (Davis). Finally, it is arguable that art education trend developed today tend to address emerging issues that affect life on day-to-today basis. Current development in art education focus on current technological development while addressing historical features of art. Work cited Creativity and Art Education: A Personal Journey in Four Acts. Web. 3 March 2012. http://www.arteducators.org/research/LowenfeldLecture_2010_EnidZimmerman.pdf Davis, Meredith. Design’s Inherent Interdisciplinarity: The Arts in Integrated Curricula. Web. 3 March 2012. http://www.ncsu.edu/www/ncsu/design/sod5/phd/resources/Davis_interdisciplinary.pdf Foster, N. Patrick. The Founders of Industrial Arts in the US. Journal of Technology Education. Web. 3 March 2012 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n1/pdf/foster.pdf Keyon, Karen. The Garden of Art. Web 3 March 2012. http://www.schoolartsdigital.com/schoolarts/201203#pg41 Mary, Ann. Constructing an International History of Art Education: Periods, Patterns, and Principles. International Journal of Arts Education. Web 3 March 2012 http://ed.arte.gov.tw/uploadfile/periodical/2264_00010020.pdf Valenti, Karla. Rock thoughts. Web 3 March 2012. http://www.schoolartsdigital.com/schoolarts/201203?folio=44#pg47 Read More