IN SPITE OF ITS CLAIMS TO DEVELOP THE WHOLE PERSON, THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM SUCCEEDS PRIMARILY AT OFFERING A VERY SPECIALIZED CURRICULUM THAT IS FRAGMENTED IN STRUCTURE AND RIGID IN METHOD. IT IS IRONICAL AND VERY DISTURBING TO ME THAT THE NATURE OF LEARNING IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH MATURING AS AN INTEGRATED, WHOLE ORGANISM, WHILE OUR SYSTEM OF TEACHING IS OVERWHELMINGLY CONNECTED WITH CULTURAL IMPOSITIONS, POLITICS, ECONOMY, AND EFFICIENCY. MOST STUDENTS HAVE NEVER HAD THE COMPLETE EXPERIENCE IN SCHOOL, OF SENSING, FEELING, THINKING, DECIDING, ACTING, REACTING, AND EVALUATING. CONSEQUENTLY, THE THINKING DEVELOPS AHEAD OF EVERYTHING ELSE, AND THE STUDENTS ARE LED TO BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD "KNOW" RATHER THAN "FEEL"; THEY ARE NOT EXPERIENCED. TOGETHER, THINKING AND FEELING LEAD TO INTEGRATED FUNCTIONING WHERE THE WHOLE PERSON HAS A CHANCE TO MATURE. IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, FOR THE MOST PART, FRAGMENTS OF INFORMATION AND FRAGMENTS OF EXPERIENCES ARE PRESENTED IN THE CURRICULUM BY TEACHERS, AND IT IS IMPLIED THAT THE STUDENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO APPLY THE INFORMATION BY THEMSELVES.

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PROCESS IS ALSO CLEARLY EVIDENT IN ART EDUCATION WHERE CONCERN FOR ECONOMY, EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN THE SYSTEM HAS MADE A MOCKERY OUT OF THE THE ARTISTIC PROCESS. THIS IS A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THAT THE ARTISTIC PROCESS OFFERS ONE OF THE MOST INTEGRATING EXPERIENCES A HUMAN BEING CAN HAVE. CERTAINLY, NO OTHER AREA OF THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM OFFERS THE SAME POTENTIAL FOR ACTIVATING AND INTEGRATING THE FRAGMENTED SEGMENTS OF HUMAN POTENTIAL. THE ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE IS, BY ITS VERY NATURE, AN INTEGRATED ACTIVITY.

THE MOST CURRENT MOVEMENT IN THE DISCIPLINE IS AN APPROACH BEING ADVANCED BY THE GETTY CENTER FOR EDUCATION IN THE ARTS SUPPORTED BY THE GETTY FOUNDATION. DISCIPLINED-BASED ART EDUCATION HAS FOUR AIMS THAT ARE CENTRAL TO ITS MISSION. THESE AIMS PERTAIN TO WHAT THEY PERCEIVE TO BE THE FOUR MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES THAT ONE CAN DO WITH THE VISUAL ARTS: ONE CAN CARET ART (STUDIO), ONE CAN PERCEIVE AND RESPOND TO ITS QUALITIES (AESTHETICS), UNDERSTAND ITS PLACE IN HISTORY (ART HISTORY), AND MAKE REASONED JUDGMENT ABOUT ART AND UNDERSTAND THE GROUND UPON WHICH THOSE JUDGMENT REST (ART CRITICISM). I IMMEDIATELY ENDORSED, WITHOUT HESITATION, THE BASIC THE BASIC TENANTS UPON WHICH THIS APPROACH IS BASED. THESE FOUR DISCIPLINES MUST, WITHOUT A DOUBT, BE INTEGRAL TO ANY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM IN ART EDUCATION. I DO, HOWEVER, QUESTION THE WISDOM OF PRESENTING THESE ACTIVITIES AS SUCH DISTINCTLY SEPARATE DISCIPLINES. I FEAR THAT THIS APPROACH MIGHT HAVE THE EFFECT OF FURTHER FRAGMENTATION, WHICH I DO NOT BELIEVE IS THE INTENT OF THE GETTY CENTER. THE GETTY FOUNDATION IS SUPPORTING AN EXTENSIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR DISCIPLINED-BASED ART EDUCATION AND IT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOMS. ONLY TIME WILL TELL HOW THIS APPROACH WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AND ITS ULTIMATE EFFECT ON THE TEACHING OF ART. I AM RELATIVELY CERTAIN, HOWEVER, THAT IN THE SHORT TERM THE DIVERSIFICATION OF DISCIPLINED-BASED ART EDUCATION WILL GREATLY IMPROVE ON THE HIGHLY STRUCTURED PROJECTS AND GIMMICKS THAT HAVE COME TO DOMINATE THE ART CLASSROOM AND DESTROY THE VERY ESSENCE OF ART EDUCATION.

BY ITS VERY DEFINITION, THE TRADITIONAL ART PROJECT FORCES THE PARTICIPANT INTO AN ACTIVITY VOID OF ARTISTIC POTENTIAL BY REQUIRING HIM TO FABRICATE AN IDEA (SOLUTION) TO A PROBLEM IMPOSED (CREATED) BY THE TEACHER. BY BEING EXPOSED TO THE ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE IN THIS MANNER, THE STUDENT IS LEAD TO BELIEVE THAT "THINKING OF AN IDEA" IN SUCH AN ARBITRARY, CONCEIVED MANNER IS THE WAY TO MAKE ART. GETTING AN IDEA FOR A STRUCTURED PROJECT HAS COME TO MEAN SETTLING ON AN IDEA THAT MEETS CERTAIN PREDETERMINED TEACHING CRITERIA. THIS, OF COURSE, NOT ONLY MISLEADS THE STUDENT ABOUT THE NATURE AND QUALITIES OF MAKING ART ,BUT ALSO IT BETRAYS THE VERY ESSENCE OF ART; IT TAKES THE MEANING AND INTEGRITY OUT OF IT. CONSEQUENTLY, THE STUDENT ASKS THE TEACHER, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?" HE ASKS THE QUESTION BECAUSE HE IS NOT CREATING OUT OF HIMSELF, WHICH IS MUCH OF THE ESSENCE OF ART, BUT INSTEAD MAKING ART LIKE ARTIFACTS TO MEET PREDETERMINED TEACHER CRITERIA. HOWEVER, THE STRUCTURED PROJECT METHOD IS EFFICIENT BECAUSE IT IS A PROJECTED WAY OF FUNCTIONING THAT IS RELIABLE, PREDICTABLE AND SAFE, PRECISELY BECAUSE IT IS PREDETERMINED. AT BEST, THE STRUCTURED PROJECT WILL FORCE A NEW AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING UPON THE STUDENT. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HOWEVER, IT ONLY SUCCEEDS IN PROVING TO THE STUDENT THAT HE IS AN ADEQUATE ARTIST AND THE ARTISTIC LIFE IS UNREWARDING.

EVERY ARTIST AND TEACHER KNOWS THAT IN EVERY ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE THERE IS A DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY AND ANXIOUSNESS. HE SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT IN THE TRUE CREATIVE PROCESS THERE IS AN INCUBATION PERIOD IN WHICH PERSONAL FEELINGS, IDEAS, AND EMOTIONS BEGIN TO STIR AND MIX WITHIN THE PERSON'S BODY, EVENTUALLY GIVING RISE TO THE CREATIVE ACT. THE ART TEACHER MUST ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE AND RESPECT THIS NATURAL EVOLUTION AND CREATE A STUDIO ATMOSPHERE THAT FOSTERS ITS DEVELOPMENT IN HIS STUDENTS. STUDENTS MUST FEEL COMFORTABLE EXPERIMENTING AND TAKING RISKS. HE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT HIS STUDENTS HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY AND HELP THEM EXPRESS IT IN A NON-DIRECTIVE MANNER. HE MUST ASSIST THEM CREATE OUT OF THEMSELVES. THE ART CLASSROOM/STUDIO NEEDS TO BE A STUDENT NOT TEACHER ORIENTED PLACE. IF ASSIGNMENTS ARE USED THEY MUST BE EXTREMELY OPEN ENDED. THEY MUST BE THOUGHT OF AND PRESENTED AS STARTING PLACES NOT ENDING PLACES, AS INITIATING AND INVESTIGATION IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION WHICH SHOULD GIVE THE STUDENT SOME VALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO HIS OWN WORK. TECHNIQUES LEARNED THROUGH ASSIGNMENTS ARE TOOLS, THE LANGUAGE, THE STUDENT NEEDS TO EXPRESS HIS IDEAS. STUDENTS MUST BE ENCOURAGED TO PERSONALIZE AND INTERNALIZE THE ASSIGNMENT AND FOLLOW IT WHEREVER IT LEADS.

CRITIQUES MUST ALSO BE STUDENT ORIENTED, RATHER THAN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TEACHER TO EXPRESS HIS PERSONAL JUDGMENT AS TO THE SUCCESS AND MERITS OF HIS STUDENTS ATTEMPTS TO MEET HIS PREDETERMINED CRITERIA. THEY SHOULD BE A NON-THREATENING FORUM FOR THE STUDENT TO PRESENT HIS PERSONAL ARTISTIC GOALS AND RECEIVE NON-PREJUDICIAL FEEDBACK FROM THE TEACHER AND PEERS AS TO HIS EFFECTIVENESS AT ACHIEVING HIS OBJECTIVES. TEACHERS HAVE TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO GIVE THEIR SOLUTIONS TO THEIR STUDENTS PROBLEMS, BUT INSTEAD ASSIST THEM HOWEVER POSSIBLE TO DISCOVER THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS TO THEIR PROBLEMS. EVALUATION MUST BE A LEARNING PROCESS BASED ON THE STUDENTS ABILITY TO EXPRESS WHATEVER IT IS HE HAS TO SAY. THE TEACHERS ROLE SHOULD BE MORE OF ONE OF ASKING QUESTIONS THAN GIVING ANSWERS. ONLY THEN WILL THE STUDENT DISCOVER THE TRUE CREATIVE PROCESS, AND THE ESSENCE OF ART.

THE ART TEACHER MUST RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT THE NOTION THAT THE ARTISTIC LIFE IS PREFERABLE AND MORE CONDUCIVE TO THE MATURING OF OUR FULL POTENTIAL THAN ANY OTHER FORM OF DEVELOPMENT, SINCE IT INTEGRATES THE SENSUAL, INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL SIDES OF LIFE. HE SHOULD STRESS THE ARTISTIC WAY OF LIFE RATHER THAN MERELY TEACHING ART AS A SUBJECT SEPARATED AND FRAGMENTED FROM LIFE. HE SHOULD TEACH STUDENTS THAT, AS A SERIES OF RELATED EVENTS, THE ARTISTIC LIFE REQUIRES A RUNNING DIALOGUE OF CREATIVE ACTIVITY THAT ACTUALLY TRANSFORMS ONE INTO LIVING MEDIUM FOR ITS OWN UNFOLDING EXPRESSION. HE NEEDS TO KNOW AND DEMONSTRATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ARTISTIC PROCESS AND ART AS SUBJECT OR OBJECT. HE SHOULD BE A MODEL OF THE ARTISTIC LIFESTYLE.