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ERIC Number: EJ974393
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Mar
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0004-3125
EISSN: N/A
Advocacy for Art Education: Beyond Tee-Shirts and Bumper Stickers
Bobick, Bryna; DiCindio, Carissa
Art Education, v65 n2 p20-23 Mar 2012
Advocacy is not new to art education. Over the years, Goldfarb (1979), Hodsoll (1985), and Erickson and Young (1996) have written about the importance of arts advocacy, but the concept of advocacy has evolved with the times. For example, in the 1970s, arts advocacy was described as a "movement" and brought together art educators, administrators, and members of the art community. Furthermore, Dorn (1977) wrote that for art education programs to continue, they must be qualitatively significant. In other words, there must be quality in art content learning and teaching and support must be given for art supplies and classrooms. The 1980s raised the question: "What is the art education that we wish to advocate?" as art educators sought to clarify their positions. In addition, (Lynch, 1989) pointed out that Disciplined-Based Art Education advocated for art education through a comprehensive approach derived from the teaching of aesthetics, art history, art criticism, and art production. As the 1990s approached, there was new pressure to justify the value of art to the public with the introduction of "cultural wars." Strategies for educators included demonstrating measurable benefits of art education because "visual arts teachers will find more success if they learn to speak the language of administrators." Arts educators often had to justify their place in K-12 education. Art education included state and national standards for art activities and formal assessment in K-12 art classrooms. More recently, arts advocacy adapted to the pressures of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and relating art education to other academic subjects in a multi-disciplinary approach rather than emphasizing its position as a completely separate subject. As the Internet became a widespread resource for information, various art organizations included advocacy on their websites. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter provide new outlets to support arts advocacy. For arts advocacy to be successful, art educators must play an active role. They cannot sit on the sidelines and expect others to advocate for them. By working together with museums and arts organizations, they can facilitate personal experiences in creating and looking at art that will help more people understand the immeasurable value of art education. In this article, the authors offer some suggestions for those who seek ways to infuse art advocacy in art education curricula and museum education.
National Art Education Association. 1916 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 703-860-8000; Fax: 703-860-2960; Web site: http://www.arteducators.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: No Child Left Behind Act 2001
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A