Philosophy+of+Art+Education

Kathryn E. Robertson

Statement of Philosophy

Art Education

To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. -Mary Oliver

Throughout my life I have felt the importance of art. For most of the time I was not able to explain this feeling - I only knew that I didn’t just want to make art, I had to make art. The study of art has connected me to the world in a way that no other subject can do alone. When I spend my time doing anything that doesn’t involve reflection about the world around me, I begin to feel disconnected. After realizing this, I felt it hasn’t been enough for me to only make and appreciate art. I also have to instill the importance of art in others – through teaching.

There are many reasons why it is essential to study art. Making art is a problem solving technique that helps students to connect what they have learned in other subjects, both in school and in their community, through the creation of visual interpretations. These visual interpretations help students to enhance their knowledge and experiences. By making art, students gain creativity, identity, self-esteem, social awareness, and new perceptions of the world around them. To me, the most important aspect of these positive attributes is that they are continuous. I think my students will feel safe to ask any question, because I will be asking my own right alongside with them. Art is an ongoing intellectual pursuit. As long as there is inquiry about the world, there will be art.

Curiosity and engagement in the world around us are the keys to solving problems in any subject. My goal is to teach students to be careful observers, able to not only look at their world, but gain the skills needed to process and understand what they are seeing. When students create original artwork, they develop and contemplate a visual language that helps them understand the things that happen in their lives. In a culture where we are overwhelmed by visual images through television, the internet, and advertisement, it is becoming more important to have the ability to interpret these images. I believe students can learn to be responsible observers through the creation and study of art. Once students learn how to observe their world, they learn how to improve it.

As we dive further into the 21st century it is apparent that a great change is happening. With the rapid advances being made in technology, the possible connections between people all over the world are tremendous. Most people can connect to the internet, take pictures, make phone calls and send messages – all with a little hand-held device. While these connections are easy and fast, somehow many of us still feel disconnected. I have witnessed students who are so connected to technology that they fail to see what is happening right before their eyes. Students today can be distracted easily and seem to rely on instant results. I feel the most important parts of being an artist come from practice, patience, and sincerity. These aspects are not always seen in the current culture of instant gratification.

I believe I can hook students with exciting technical processes, including but not limited to the use of technology. My love of art began with a love for materials. Inscribed all over the furniture of my childhood room are the words “I love art” – in different colors and different materials, of course. As I got older I learned to control these drawings and kept my expressions to more traditional venues, such as paper. It was important to me as an artist to learn the technical skills needed to control my work and manipulate visually the ideas I wanted to express. I feel that art students need to be taught the technical skills to create beautiful works of art. While the finished product of a lesson is important, I think equal attention needs to be given to the generation of ideas and successful studio practice. Craftsmanship is one of the most important qualities of a work of art, and good craftsmanship is assessed even within the new visual culture.

It could be said that teaching art is an art project in itself, one that requires flexibility, imagination, innovation, compassion, and understanding. A successful outcome requires nothing short of thoughtful planning, concrete goals, extensive knowledge, and constant inquiry. By implementing meaningful methods of assessment, a teacher will know when they are ‘done’. Just as an artist never ceases to find a new method of solving the aesthetic problem, the job of an art teacher will always require ongoing learning and reflection.