The "Art in America" Radio Programs, 1934-1935

Abstract

Introduction Radio burst on American scene in 1920s and 1930s, and virtually every cultural and commercial interest sought to promote themselves through airwaves. Not least of them was art community, which produced several series of radio programs on art. The radio series Art in America aired on Station WJZ, New York, in 1934, and it was heard also on West Coast in 1935. These programs constituted a complete audio correspondence course that was used in homes, schools, and colleges. Seventeen broadcasts featured American art history, including modern art, along with programs in arts of theatre set design, filmmaking, architecture, and city planning. The Art in America broadcasts were programmed in two parts. Part one focused on various artrelated topics during years from 1650 to Civil War. Part two, series discussed here, covered years from Civil War to 1930s. The history of rapid expansion of radio industry bears an uncanny resemblance to all-consuming expansion of computing, telecommunications, and art education in late 20th century. To understand parallels between these two eras in history is to understand better relation of art education to mass media. This article examines first nationally broadcast art program and its cultural and social impacts. Since this article is also about rapid development of radio as set within context of all mass media and art education, discussion includes collaboration of museums, broadcasting, and philanthropic organizations that made Art in America programs possible. All influences of these educational agents are brought to focus by what Harris (1990) termed public taste, defined as the aesthetic knowledgability, experiences and preferences of entire population (p. 57). Unfortunately, little has been written about Art in America project, which is surprising considering advancements programs signify for education, art, and broadcasting. The history of project drew upon histories of diverse educational institutions, with history of radio as only one component (Covert, 1984). Cremin's (1988) history of education also included histories of informal education from press, radio and television, libraries, and museums, along with formal education in schools. These histories of mass media and of education depict a broad scope of sources for formal and informal learning, and Art in America programs show this overlap of effort in broadcasting and philanthropy as popular education. Likewise, this article reaches beyond histories of art education with their emphasis on formal schooling. The examination of learning outside schools from informal educational institutions reveals not only a wealth of education extending beyond schools, but also shows conditions that influenced what people learned in many institutions, including schools. It would seem a mistake, then, to pronounce educational effects of, perhaps only radio, or only schools, without including their partnerships with other cultural institutions (Cremin, 1988). Several histories provide valuable context for Art in America programs. Bolin's (1989) history of art education on radio discusses several programs on art education broadcast between 1929 and 1951 in Ohio and Buffalo, New York to such national broadcasts as Art for Your Sake, which aired on Columbia Broadcasting System. Bolin concludes that broadcasts show a continuance of art education's picture study movement well into 20th century, which includes Art in America programs and illustrated supplements. He states that Art in America programs were first national broadcasts on art, and probably most elaborate art educational effort on radio. Other histories of art education bear no mention of Art in America programs (Logan, 1955; Wygant, 1983; Efland, 1990). Neither are Art in America programs mentioned in histories of mass media by Barnouw (1966-70), Covert and Stevens (1984), MacDonald (1979), or Smith (1983). …