Anna M. Kindler

When a Culture Takes a Trip: Evidence of Heritage and Enculturation in Early Conceptions of Art

This study in social cognition has been focused on exploration of ways in which cultural contexts shape formation of knowledge about art in early childhood years. Focusing of the connotative rather than denotative meanings of the term art, this study was designed to examine how this concept functions in a variety of cultural contexts. The method of structured interviews was used to elicit answers of four- and five-year-old children in Canada, France, and Taiwan to questions regarding the nature of art and its salient characteristics. In particular, this study addressed questions about portability of culture and the effects of heritage and enculturation in the formation of social knowledge among individuals whose cultural identity is negotiated in the context of a ‘transplanted’ culture. Responses of francophone children in the Canadian province of Quebec were contrasted with those of their French counterparts, as well as their Canadian peers from European ancestry other than French living in the province of British Columbia. Similarly, responses of interviewees in Taiwan, ROC were compared to the reported beliefs about art of young Chinese-Canadians. The results of this study bring support to the theory of modified cultural pluralism that emphasizes the interplay between the original cultural beliefs and values and those prevalent in the societies that become new home for a transplanted culture. Implications of the study findings to art education are discussed. Research reported in this paper has been supported by a grant from the Social Studies and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the France-Canada Accord.

Composing in Visual Arts

front of a painting, we tend to think about composition as an arrangement of its visual structure: lines, shapes, colors, and textures organized by the artist to guide our sensory experience, engage our imagination and, hopefully, provide us with a powerful aesthetic experience. From this perspective, composition is a characteristic of a work of art; a testimonial to the ingenuity and skill of the artist; and an object of contemplation of the spectator. It is the interface between the ideas and intentions of an artist and the experience of the viewer. Composition, construed in this way, is a subject of research for every artist each time he or she engages in a creative process. It has long been a focus of theories concerned with articulation of elements and principles of art and design. It has also been a subject of empirical studies aiming to understand patterns in visual scanning of artifacts as well as explorations of quality of aesthetic experience. When we enter an artist’s studio and see him or her engaged in a creative act we are presented with another meaning of “composition.” Here, the focus is on the process, on the ways in which ideas find a tangible visual form; where a moment of concentration translates into an image; and where engagement with a medium allows new meaning to emerge. In this chapter, I address the topic of “composition” as understood in these dynamic terms: as a verb rather than a noun; as a creative act rather than its outcome. I focus on the examination of cognitive processes, cultural and social conditions and other contextual determinants of what in the educational literature has traditionally been termed as “artistic development.” I present in this chapter an overview of theories that explain how people: young children, adolescents and adults develop their visual vocabulary of expression and how they grow (or decline) in their ability and interest to “compose” in art. While doing so, I attempt to situate these theories in the context of the changing world of art and suggest ways in which the long neglected distinction between “composing visual imagery” and “composing in visual arts” may be articulated and further researched. I try to account for the fact that not only the medium and the repertoire of tools of

Art Education Policy in Canada.

(1996). Art Education Policy in Canada. Arts Education Policy Review: Vol. 97, No. 6, pp. 15-22.

From Within and from the Outside: Exploring the Possibility of a Sustainable Future for Art Education

Our vantage point defines what we see. It structures our perception, determines how we interpret what is in front of our eyes and it is often difficult to transcend the power of the perspective in which we are situated. The metaphor of a vantage point is applied in this paper to bringing to light the tension between art education as conceived by its practitioners and art education as considered by those who are positioned outside of the field. This tension has long been a source of frustration for art educators who have frequently felt misunderstood and powerless in the public discourse about the role and value of art education. Having transitioned in my professional journey from an art educator, researcher and advocate to a senior academic leader in a comprehensive research-intensive university, the author has gained an intimate understanding of both: the ways in which art educators think about their field and how it appears to the outsiders -- particularly when art education prerogatives are placed in a competitive context of other disciplines. This has prompted reflections on what changes may be called for in defining, framing and advocating for art education -- and what types of research may be required to position art education for a sustainable future in public education.