Art History, Art Criticism, and Art Production

This study attempts to discover (1) the factors that generate support for a strong, substantive art education program in a district’s curriculum, and (2) what factors influence the willingness and ability of school districts and teachers to carry out and maintain a discipline-based art education that strives for balance among the historical, critical, and productive domains of the visual arts. It uses case studies of seven sites (Whitehall, Ohio; Hopkins, Minnesota; Palo Alto, California; Decatur and Champaign, Illinois; Brooklyn, New York; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Virginia Beach, Virginia). As a group, the case studies illustrate the importance of support from school board members, superintendents, and principals, of a written curriculum, and of in-service training. They provide examples of school-museum collaboration, and dispel the notion that systematic instruction compromises or constrains individual creativity.