Art education
Art education is a field dedicated to the study and practice of visual arts, encompassing disciplines such as painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and design. Historically, art education in the United States has evolved significantly, shifting from a focus on crafts to a more integrated approach within the broader academic curriculum, particularly since the 1970s. Influential figures like John Dewey have advocated for the importance of art in education, emphasizing hands-on learning experiences that prepare students for everyday life.
Despite its recognized value, recent educational reforms have led to a reduction in time allocated for art in schools, often prioritizing subjects like mathematics and English language arts. Two primary philosophies in art education have emerged: Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE), which aligns art with core subjects to enhance understanding, and Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB), which emphasizes student choice and expression in the creative process.
Current challenges in art education include disparities in access for students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and the need for inclusive practices, particularly for students with special needs. Advocacy efforts continue to support art programs and highlight the essential role of art in fostering creativity and critical thinking in students.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Art education
Art education is the field of study focusing on the visual arts of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, design, and its many related disciplines. While most schools in the United States have offered art education of some sort for many years, it has become a serious field of study in grades K–12 only within the past few decades. Before the mid-1960s, art education at the elementary and high school levels consisted mainly of producing arts and crafts. The concept of art as an academic discipline in which art is integrated with other subjects began modestly in the 1970s and is now widespread. In the United States, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) is the premiere organization for educators that advocate for visual arts education, learning, research, and knowledge. Fields of study that are expanding in the twenty-first century include art education for students with special needs and art therapy.
Overview
In the fifth century BCE, the Greek philosopher Plato promoted the idea of teaching the arts to students in his Republic. In the United States, it was John Dewey who first advocated teaching the arts in his landmark 1916 book, Democracy and Education. Dewey stated that art needed to go beyond “the stimulations of eccentric fancy and emotional indulgences . . . beyond adequate provision for enjoyment of recreative leisure; not only for the sake of immediate health, but still more if possible for the sake of its lasting effect upon habits of mind.” In 1934, he elaborated on the importance of art in education for all people in Art as Experience. As an educational reformer with progressive ideas, Dewey advocated hands-on learning experiences, especially with regard to art, that he felt would prepare the student for everyday living.
The influential 1983 report A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform, commissioned by President Ronald Reagan, advocated setting standards for all subjects and for a stronger emphasis on mathematics and science. This was echoed in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which mandated that teachers focus a majority of their time on reading, writing, and math. Following the passage of that act, most schools decreased the amount of time spent on visual arts and music. Despite this, many teachers and parents have lobbied for their schools’ art programs to continue. The Common Core standards released in 2010 did not specifically address art in the classroom, as they were directed primarily toward English language arts and mathematics. However, the guidelines for the Common Core indicated that "literacy standards for grade 6 and above are predicated on teachers of ELA, history/social studies, science, and technical subjects using their content area expertise to help students meet the particular challenges of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language in their respective fields.” The term "technical subjects" includes art; therefore, the Common Core did help codify standards as they should be applied to art. Over time, many states adopted new educational standards to replace or modify the Common Core standards. Some of these new standards, such as the California Arts Standards for Public Schools (adopted in 2019), included a more comprehensive framework for arts education.
In the United States, two schools of thought arose regarding arts education: Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE) and Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB). DBAE, which arose in the early 1980s, believes art should be a basic part of the curriculum, just like mathematics, science, and language arts. According to this theory, art provides the visual context in which to remember and apply ideas in other fields. For example, the Statue of Liberty, apart from being a work of art, evokes in students the idea of freedom, civil liberty, and what it means to be an American. DBAE, a product of the Getty Center for Education in the Arts in Los Angeles, comprises three areas of art study: art criticism, art history, and studio art.
Although the philosophy of TAB dates from the 1970s, it became an organized grassroots movement in 2001. Its primary focus is on choice-based art education, which is predicated on the belief that all students are artists and need to be given the opportunity to convey their own ideas and interests in creating art, even selecting the medium they deem best. The essential elements of TAB are that the student is the artist, students should determine subject matter and materials, student beliefs drive work, students are self-motivated, and experimentation and mistakes are honored. Like DBAE, TAB supports strong standards-based art education.
Studies by the Center for Education Policy show a shift toward mathematics and English language arts instruction at the expense of the arts, social studies, recess, and lunch, leaving many art educators concerned about the future of their discipline. Of further concern is the gap in art education among different socioeconomic groups, as noted in a 2012 study conducted by the US Department of Education. The idea that art has healing power dates back to the sixth century BCE Greek philosopher Pythagoras, and many teachers of students with special needs recognize the importance of the arts in giving their students a new voice and means of expression. Toward that end, the Special Needs Art Education group was formed by the NAEA in 2001.
Scholars, educators, and policymakers continued to push for increased art education into the 2020s. A 2021 American Academy of Arts and Sciences report highlighted the decline in access to arts education in the twenty-first century and provided recommendations to improve educational policies at all levels of government. The US Department of Education has also emphasized the importance of arts education, particularly in providing equitable access to a well-rounded education. In 2024, it helped launch the Assistance for Arts Education Center, which compiles federal funding sources that support arts education, among other resources.
Bibliography
Abdul-Alim, Jamaal. “Educators Work to Resuscitate Arts Education after No Child Left Behind.” Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 2012, www.diverseeducation.com.
Bedrick, Anne, and Katherine M. Douglas. Choice without Chaos. Teaching for Artistic Behavior, 2012.
Blankenship, J. David. “Education and the Arts in Plato’s ‘Republic.’” Journal of Education, vol. 178, no. 3, 1996, pp. 67–98.
"California Arts Standards." California State Board of Education, 6 Jan. 2025, www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/vapacontentstds.asp. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.
Cavarnos, Constantine. Pythagoras on the Fine Arts as Therapy. Inst. for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 1994.
Dewey, John. Art as Experience. Perigree, 1980.
Donahue, David M., and Jennifer Stuard, editors. Artful Teaching. Teachers College P, 2010.
Douglas, Katherine M., and Diane B. Jaquith. Engaging Learners through Art Making: Choice-Based Art Education in the Classroom. Teachers College P, 2009.
Gardner, Howard. Art Education and Human Development. Getty Center for Education in the Arts, 1990.
Gerber, Beverly G., and Julia Kellman. Understanding Students with Autism through Art. NAEA, 2010.
Hetland, Lois, et al. Studio Thinking 2: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education. Teachers College, 2013.
Hutzel, Karen, Flavia M. C. Bastos, and Kim Cosier, editors. Transforming City Schools through Art: Approaches to Meaningful K–12 Learning. NAEA, 2012.
Jaquith, Diane B., and Nan E. Hathaway. The Learner-Directed Classroom: Developing Creative Thinking Skills through Art. Teachers College, 2012.
Lee, Juhohn. "States Are Implementing New Educational Standards, Signaling the End of Common Core." CNBC, 5 Aug. 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/08/05/states-are-implementing-new-educational-standards-signaling-the-end-of-common-core.html. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.
"Letter to Chief State School Officers on Arts Education." US Department of Education, 2 Oct. 2024, www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/education-policy/letter-chief-state-school-officers-arts-education. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.
National Commission on Excellence in Education. A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Natl. Commission on Excellence in Educ., 1983.
Sobol, F. Robert. “No Child Left Behind: A Study of Its Impact on Art Education.” The AEP Wire, Sept. 2010.
Young, Bernard, editor. Art, Culture, and Ethnicity. NAEA, 2011.