Art Pedagogy Research Articles

Diagrammatic devices in early to mid-twentieth-century American art pedagogy

ABSTRACT Diagrams demonstrating principles of formal arrangement (what is commonly called composition or design) were pervasive in the production and interpretation of pictorial art in the United States throughout the first half of the twentieth century. This essay surveys three of the most influential: a Japan-inspired design manual written by art educator Arthur Dow and first published in 1899; a WWI-era proportional scheme devised by illustrator and amateur classical archeologist Jay Hambidge, and a series of essays from 1926 on the ‘mechanics of form organization’ by painter (and, at the time, Art Students League of New York instructor), Thomas Hart Benton. These and similar devices were an integral part of the relentless standardization and self-conscious modernization of artists’ methods modeled on industrial processes of mass production and pursued between the Civil War and the Great Depression by educators and policy-makers interested in establishing the teaching of art in the United States on a more practical basis than that provided by the European academic tradition. Despite their once near-ubiquity and pivotal role in the development of several generations of American modernists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, George Bellows and Jackson Pollock, as described here, these hugely popular devices are almost entirely forgotten today.

Operational Competence of the Visual Arts Teacher in Art Practice: Interrogating the Underlying Factors

This study is on operational competence of Visual Arts teachers’ art practice, focusing on the factors influencing their competence and its relevance in contemporary contexts of arts education. Drawing upon literature from education, art pedagogy, and teacher training, this study identifies key factors that contribute to the operational competence of Visual Arts practice, including artistic skill, proficiency and reflective practice. Through an analysis of empirical studies and practical insights, the study highlights the visual arts teachers’ own art practice factors. It also underscores the significance of research informed policies and curriculum frameworks that support the holistic development of Visual Arts education and the cultivation of a vibrant artistic community within schools and society at large. It engages qualitative research design. A sample of twelve (12) Visual Arts students and one (1) Visual Arts teacher each from eleven (11) schools within the six Education Districts of Lagos State were purposively selected. Data was obtained using Portfolio Review Rubrics. Thematic Analysis was employed in analysing data gathered. Findings revealed that Visual Arts teachers’ competence in art practice differs in nuances of scope. It also revealed that teachers’ competence in art practice is a determinant of students’ learning outcome in art practice. Based on the findings, recommendations were made that workshops and conferences on art practice and pedagogy be organised for Visual Arts teachers to improve their operational competence in art practice. It further recommended that art teachers’ training curriculum be re-packaged to include more art practice activities than pedagogy so as to adequately build their art practice competence in scope and strength for prospective art teaching career.

Exploring Virtual Reality in Arts Education

This paper examines the integration of virtual reality (VR) into arts education, focusing on how immersive technologies can transform learning environments across various artistic disciplines. With advancements in VR technology making it more accessible, the study investigates its potential to enhance creativity, accessibility, and engagement in both visual and performing arts. The theoretical frameworks of arts education, including constructivism and experiential learning, are analyzed in the context of VR applications. Through case studies of current VR implementations in K-12 and higher education, the paper highlights both the benefits and challenges of this technological shift, advocating for its strategic inclusion in art curricula. Future trends are also discussed, predicting collaborative innovations that may reshape arts pedagogy. Keywords: Virtual Reality (VR), Arts Education, Immersive Technologies, Constructivism, Experiential Learning.

Pedagogical Dimensions of Traditional and Modern Art

Pedagogical and interart features of Nepali art are themes of discussions. Pedagogy is a very important aspect of Nepali paintings, so is the interart subject. Pedagogic practice of art has always remained the most important form of activity. But the traditional art has its own legacy and strength. The method of apprenticeship of art comes from both family and school. But to understand the strength of the pedagogy of paintings we should also look at the interart dimension of art studies. Nepal also provides ample examples of such concepts and practices through times. Art pedagogy has two clear sides. One is temporal and the other is spatial. The temporal meaning is that Nepali art learning or teaching happened with the call and needs of the times. The spatial meaning is that the teaching and learning of art in general has happened as part of the heritage. The paintings and, even more than that, the sculptural and architectonic forms abound with examples. Nepali artists' stories of going out for learning art and returning with training and degree and contributing to the pedagogy and other practice have their own histories.

“Mirrors and windows:” a case study of educators’ culturally responsive teaching aspirations and syllabi transformation in the arts

This qualitative case study explored educators’ aspirations to transform arts pedagogy into a culturally sustaining praxis. Twenty-four educators engaged in a 20-h online training, including engaging with prints in the Artura.org print collection, reading culturally sustaining scholarship, dialoguing, and decolonizing lesson plans. Twenty educators participated in dyadic interviews, revealing a deeper understanding of cultural identities and pedagogical changes to shape positive cultural identities for students. Findings highlight how art contributes to social justice teaching goals emphasizing intentional educator self-reflection to anticipate challenges and avoid cultural exploitation. Recommendations include utilizing online art databases with diverse artists in teacher professional development.

In Search of a Complementary Model of Arts Pedagogy as Educational Sciences

Artykuł poświęcony jest przedstawieniu i uzasadnieniu propozycji komplementarnego modelu pedagogiki sztuki jako (sub)dyscypliny naukowej z uwzględnieniem wyzwań XXI wieku. Źródłem inspiracji tej propozycji autor uczynił myśl pedagogiczną Elliota W. Eisnera. Najpierw wskazał na różnice w definiowaniu swoistości pedagogiki i nauk pedagogicznych, nawiązując przy okazji także do socjologii, a następnie przedstawił propozycję wymiaru ontologicznego, epistemologicznego i metodologicznego projektowanej pedagogiki sztuki. Elementem opracowania jest także propozycja struktury podręcznika akademickiego dedykowanego pedagogice sztuki.

Intercultural Conference of Art Pedagogy – Report

Sprawozdanie dotyczy Międzykulturowej Konferencji Pedagogiki Sztuki „Edukacja przez sztukę dla pokoju”, która odbyła się w dn. 25–28 września 2023 r. w Ustce. Tematyka konferencji, zorganizowanej przez Uniwersytet Pomorski w Słupsku, dotyczyła teoretycznego znaczenia i praktycznego zastosowania różnych dziedzin sztuki w szeroko pojętych działaniach pedagogicznych, w tym w aktywnościach nakierowanych na promowanie i wzmacnianie kultury pokoju. W konferencji wzięli udział naukowcy z różnych krajów, w tym z Ukrainy.

Wokół śmiechu i jego funkcji wspólnotowych w życiu społecznym i w sztuce. Rozważania z perspektywy antropologiczno-pedagogicznej

The aim of the study which adopts an anthropological and pedagogical perspective is to reflect on the community functions of art that uses comedy eliciting laughter. The subject of interest is therefore comedy-related laughter perceived as a socio-cultural phenomenon. The article examines various forms of comedy that cause laugher, and discusses their conditions and transformations. Selected examples from the field of art (literature, theater, film, visual arts) are used for exemplification. The considerations presented in the text arose from the questions about the reasons for the marginal interest in comedy and laughter, including in its community functions, in the theory of aesthetic education and in the contemporary discourse of art pedagogy.

What is the contemporary art? And its influences on the critical pedagogy of contemporary Michoacan art.

El arte contemporáneo es un fenómeno complejo que requiere herramientas semióticas para su interpretación y apreciación. Por ello, con apoyo de las teorías semióticas de Pierce y la pedagogía crítica de Freire se busca permitir a la sociedad en general a establecer sus propios términos comunitarios para llamar contemporáneas o no a las producciones artísticas actuales expuestas en museos de Morelia, Michoacán o cualquier pieza artística proveniente de un artista michoacano. La desconexión del público con el arte contemporáneo es resultado de la falta de los procesos dialógicos entre los agentes estéticos (productores, exhibidores, espectadores) y la diversidad de propuestas que pueden resultar extravagantes al ojo de los espectadores ocasionales o de primera vez en un museo. La pedagogía crítica busca promover una comunidad participativa en los fenómenos culturales, como el arte contemporáneo, a través de herramientas propuestas por los pedagogos de la corriente crítica. El arte contemporáneo es diverso, caracterizado por la autonomía de las obras y la inclusión de diferentes estilos, técnicas y movimientos. Se relaciona con la pedagogía crítica, que busca fomentar la participación en una sociedad justa y equitativa a través del diálogo. Refleja la evolución del arte y su capacidad para comunicar emociones y experiencias.

Seeds for Reclaiming Art in Education

AbstractThe concern of this paper is to provide a number of ‘seeds’ for a reclaiming of art in education by placing emphasis upon art's pedagogy or art's education. The notion of reclaiming does not infer a return to a utopian past or to a halcyon future, but it invokes a reaffirmation of the adventure of events of art practice that can take us beyond ourselves towards new creative assemblages and possibilities for becoming‐with. Such reclaiming requires a culture of trust, care and response‐ability. In relation to art's pedagogy the paper calls for opening up what is formally recognised as ‘practice’ in art education to a sensing towards what might be obscured by such recognition and in doing so reshape our ideas and modes of practice.

Data Visualization of Artists’ Responses to Violence Against Women: Art Activism for Pedagogy

Abstract Addressing the need to confront violence against women (VAW) within educational contexts, this article explores how data visualization can be used to understand entanglements of VAW across geographies, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and political histories. Through the examination of art activism that emerges within digital places such as social media platforms, this research queries how art manifests within transnational online environments to highlight unique nuances of place and identity. Emphasizing the critical ability of the arts to provide voice to confront difficult subject matter, this publication focuses on five of the 24 global artists who participated in the study, who explore the theme of “silence” in their art works. Through a publicly accessible interactive map and website, including curricular resources, this research provides a model for confronting challenging and traumatic topics within art pedagogy through coalition building, creating awareness, and empowering individuals to transform society.

Application of multimodality perception scene construction based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology in art teaching

Numerous impediments beset contemporary art education, notably the unidimensional delivery of content and the absence of real-time interaction during instructional sessions. This study endeavors to surmount these challenges by devising a multimodal perception system entrenched in Internet of Things (IoT) technology. This system captures students’ visual imagery, vocalizations, spatial orientation, movements, ambient luminosity, and contextual data by harnessing an array of interaction modalities encompassing visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory sensors. The synthesis of this manifold information about learning scenarios entails strategically placing sensors within physical environments to facilitate intuitive and seamless interactions. Utilizing digital art flower cultivation as a quintessential illustration, this investigation formulates tasks imbued with multisensory channel interactions, pushing the boundaries of technological advancement. It pioneers advancements in critical domains such as visual feature extraction by utilizing DenseNet networks and voice feature extraction leveraging SoundNet convolutional neural networks. This innovative paradigm establishes a novel art pedagogical framework, accentuating the importance of visual stimuli while enlisting other senses as complementary contributors. Subsequent evaluation of the usability of the multimodal perceptual interaction system reveals a remarkable task recognition accuracy of 96.15% through the amalgamation of Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) speech features with a long-short-term memory (LSTM) classifier model, accompanied by an average response time of merely 6.453 seconds—significantly outperforming comparable models. The system notably enhances experiential fidelity, realism, interactivity, and content depth, ameliorating the limitations inherent in solitary sensory interactions. This augmentation markedly elevates the caliber of art pedagogy and augments learning efficacy, thereby effectuating an optimization of art education.

B-Wheel – Building AI competences in academic libraries

Academic libraries have moved swiftly to grasp the challenges and opportunities of the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. The body of academic and practice-based literature is growing fast, showing how libraries are exploring their role in Information Literacy (IL) and AI, ethics and AI, and how they vigorously test and adopt various AI-powered tools for their services. Across these accounts, librarians express concern about their competence, skills and knowledge of the new technology and its implications for the research community. In this article, we present a holistic process model called the B-Wheel that addresses the phenomenon's complexity with approaches adopted from design thinking ideologies. We propose design approaches as an alternative strategy for academic libraries that want to avoid partial optimisation of AI skills and to ensure more generative competency building in their organisation. We drew inspiration for the B-Wheel model from the principles and pedagogy of the 20th-century Bauhaus art and design school in Germany. The article focuses on the model's features and its elements, constructed through workshops in Scandinavian research libraries. We also present experiences from the first use case in a University Library in Scandinavia. We propose that the main principles of the B-Wheel process model – a holistic design approach and learning by doing – are transferable across and beyond academic libraries.

Impact of a chamber orchestra in the university environment: analysis of the development of artistic and cultural skills

The objective of this research was to explain the importance of the creation of the chamber orchestra established in the Faculty of Human Education Sciences and Technologies, the career of Pedagogy in Arts and Humanities of the National University of Chimborazo in the year 2023, through the review of scientific data and theoretical foundation, in order to demonstrate the musical and cultural artistic development. The research had a qualitative approach by virtue of the fact that a more personal interaction was required, and the level of research was analytical-synthetic, inductive - deductive, which helped to form the theoretical considerations of the chamber orchestra and its purpose in the university environment. Applying the technique of interviewing students and art professionals with trajectory and transcendental characteristics for the research. As results were obtained that the creation of the chamber orchestra has substantial benefits for university students, demonstrating improvement in discipline, development of skills, attitudes, and abilities, achieving academic, social-cultural benefits, encouraging teamwork and collaboration through practice and group performance in addition to gaining stage experience, which is crucial for the student of music and other fields related to the arts. The chamber orchestra, considered a jewel in the world of classical music, promotes the cultural and social diversity of the university community.

Carrie Mae Weems’ Intersectional Tropes: Engaging Black Feminism Within Arts Teacher Education

ABSTRACT In this article, we approach the visual tropes in Carrie Mae Weems’ bodies from an intersectional perspective through mobilising critical arts and black feminist studies for art pedagogies. A constant in Weems’ trajectory are the intersectional tropes that emerge in her artworks, which are collapsed with bodies, defying racial, gender, age, and social class stereotypes, stratification, and oppression. Aiming to engage black feminism with pedagogies, we revisit a critical art project that connects different spaces: the exhibition “Carrie Mae Weems: A Great Turn in the Possible”; and, a pre-service art teacher education course - “Childhoods: Inclusive narratives through art” - where narrative is a mode of decolonising pedagogy through contemporary art. First, we will examine the topics and strategies practised by five students’ micro-groups dealing with the critical and dialogical analysis of the intersectional tropes in Weems’ series. Second, we will reconstruct the process that has been conducted to transform and transfer that knowledge into educational spaces and resources designed to perform a feminist, intercultural, and social justice-oriented art education. Finally, the article discusses how critical pedagogy merges with critical arts to train future art educators while experimenting with a black feminist curriculum.

High Ecological Integration Within U.S. Art Teacher Education: A Collective Case Study

We live in a world of accelerating ecological devastation, where environmental violence is culturally and economically ingrained in dominant human societies. The term “Anthropocene” implies a threshold has been breached, and suggests radical reassessments of prevailing social, economic, political, and educational systems are needed. Some art teacher education programs in the United States deviate from predominant trends by embracing ecological integration and preparing art preservice teachers to implement ecological and environmental art pedagogies. Such “aberrant” programs offer rich sites to explore for methods that might be emulated beyond these singular cases. In this study, we examined how three U.S. art teacher education programs, identified as having high levels of ecological integration, infused ecological and environmental approaches into their course content and teaching methods. Themes included exposure to relational ways of being, entanglements with the land and community, collective productions of ecological integration, and infusion of art teacher educators’ multiple identities.

Pedagogical art of K. D. Ushinsky through the prism of historical reality

Introduction. The founder of Russian pedagogical anthropology K. D. Ushinsky connected the art of teaching with the need for interdisciplinary anthropological research into the process of transferring knowledge and a system of values to the younger generation. The article attempts to analyze the reasons for the long-term rejection at the state level of the principles of «the art of creating something that does not exist» as Ushinsky defined pedagogy, and to identify the main promising directions for possible current application.Materials and Methods. During the research, within the framework of an interdisciplinary approach, historical-biographical, historical-legal, historical-pedagogical methods, general scientific principles and approaches to scientific analysis were used.Results. As the purpose of the educational and pedagogical influence K. D. Ushinsky saw the formation of a generation of free, intellectually developed citizens capable of creation – the patriots of Russia. Due to certain circumstances of an ideological and administrative-political nature, his teaching was not fully accepted and did not become widespread during his lifetime. Only in the middle of 1930s the state turned to the legacy of K.D. Ushinsky. Later Soviet society failed to perceive the creative potential of the great teacher. Modern Russia should not miss this chance.Discussion and Conclusions. The conclusions presented in the article can be attributed to fundamental provisions, the implementation and development of which can give not only a short-term effect of optimizing teaching activities, but also serve as a strategic guideline for the development of modern society.

Kurt Rowland's Visual Education: A Quiet Force in Post‐War Art Pedagogy

AbstractThis paper introduces the life and work of art educator and designer Kurt Rowland (1920–1980) who authored the first set of textbooks on visual education and played a role in the shifting world of art and design education in post‐war Britian. We detail the foundational experiences of his extraordinary life in the first half of the 20th century including surviving the Spanish Civil War and La Retirada, being a ‘friendly enemy alien’, and becoming one of the Dunera boys forced into Australian internment camps. He later went on to develop a new aspect of art and design education he called visual education. We explore Rowland's notion of a visual education, explicating its features, appraising its import, and situating Rowland's ideas to those of his contemporaries. We explore his motivations and how his work advanced art pedagogy. Finally, we argue that Kurt Rowland has been absent in recent literature on art and design education and that his work, which contains elements that have continued relevance today, should not be overlooked.

Sustainability teaching in higher education: assessing arts and design faculty perceptions and attitudes

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and attitudes of arts and design faculty on teaching sustainability in higher education institutions in the USA. Design/methodology/approach Arts and design faculty from nine universities in the USA were approached for the study, using both closed and open-ended questions in a survey instrument. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Findings Results related to arts and design faculty’s perception of sustainability showed high confidence in teaching sustainability but lower confidence in inspiring students to take action on sustainability issues. Faculty also perceived time, resources, knowledge and support as barriers to the integration of the topic into the curriculum. This study revealed that the faculty’s attitude toward sustainability demonstrated their recognition that sustainability should be at the core of their discipline and that they support its integration into courses. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to arts and design faculty in higher education institutions in the USA. The results may not be generalizable to other fields or locations. In addition, the use of self-reported data may be subject to bias. Practical implications The findings of this study can inform the development of curriculum and pedagogy in arts and design sustainability education. It can also guide institutions in addressing the challenges and barriers related to incorporating sustainability into their curriculum. Social implications Prioritizing sustainability education is crucial in addressing global climate change and related issues. Art and design educators’ perspectives on teaching sustainability can contribute to constructing a sustainable future for everyone. Originality/value This study provides insight into the perception and attitude of sustainability among arts and design faculty in higher education in the USA and highlights areas for improvement such as training and resources to better integrate sustainability into the curriculum.

Pandemic Portals and Radical Imaginations: Employing Critical Arts-Based Pedagogies Toward Racial Justice with Secondary Preservice English Teachers

Background: In the wake of COVID-19 and protests against racial violence, scholars of education, alongside educational organizations, called for innovative responses to address racial injustice, but one solution was consistently mentioned across educational spaces: the need for educators to reimagine education in a postpandemic/endemic world. And yet, even though the importance of (re)imagination in deterring educational issues was greatly emphasized in academia and popular culture, scholarship detailing ways to activate teachers’ imaginations was limited. Purpose: Considering the role of imagination and creativity in the fight for racial justice, the purpose of this article is to examine how arts-based pedagogies in the teacher education classroom might provide space for preservice teachers to cultivate their imaginative proclivities toward racial justice. Research Design: To engage in this analysis, the author employs a thematic analytic process undergirded by the concept of activist art pedagogy and supported by a conceptual framework that bridges abolitionist teaching and the Archaeology of Self. The combination of the framework and analytic method was used to analyze visual artifacts and meta-reflections created by preservice teachers who constructed multiple aesthetic responses to class readings. Conclusions or Recommendations: Findings suggest that critical arts-based inquiries helped preservice teachers to personally connect to and question the historical roots of racial justice. Further, findings indicate that arts-based inquiries can engage preservice teachers’ creative proclivities toward a reimagination of their roles and responsibilities as racial justice–informed teachers.