Examines the "picture study" movement which began in the late 1800s and faded during the 1920s. Focuses especially on the work of Oscar Neal, a leading picture study advocate. Attempts to show how the aesthetic theory, beliefs about art, social assumptions, educational limitations, educational beliefs, and technology of the time interacted to make…

Lowenfeld enjoined teachers never to permit children to copy art works because children's art was such a crucial part of the self. Yet by rejecting all copying, one can place too great a value on novelty and miss the essence of Lowenfeld's emphasis on the individual child's experience. (IS)

Contradictions in the literature abound concerning Franz Cizek's role in fostering creative art. Researchers should turn to student recollections to determine what Franz Cizek's contribution to art education really was. A former Cizek student who today is prominent in design work is interviewed. (RM)

Under the directorship of Holger Cahill, who drew upon John Dewey's principle of the universal communicability of art, the Federal Art Project of the Great Depression era gave all of the people the opportunity to study and enjoy art. Specific programs of the project are described. (RM)

The author describes the history, theories, and methods of the German institution called the Bauhaus, which he considers to be the basic influence on American studio art education in the last 50 years. (Author/SJL)

Throughout European history, artists have celebrated the values of their patrons. Today, the schools are the largest employer of artists. To justify art education according to current Back-to-Basics values, art teachers should explain visual art as a language, which they can teach students to read and use. (SJL)

Provides four sample activities and illustrations to develop students' perceptual skills. Seeks to help teach students that (1) understanding art takes time and effort; (2) personal reactions are important; (3) understanding the culture in which artworks are created is useful; and (4) many different approaches are available for understanding art.…