Can a present day art classroom effectively apply an art education philosophy of the past? I believe the art education philosophy of Victor D'Amico was effectively applied in my classroom. Much thought and special care was taken to closely replicate aspects of D'Amico's Art Carnival. Of course there were things that I could not reproduce such as some of the elaborate toys, specific room décor, and lighting. However, the Inspiration Area and Preparation Area both delivered what I believe followed his philosophy.
As at D'Amico's Art Carnival, children were provided with a safe and supportive environment that offered "various modes of free-choice learning through visual, tactile, and kinesthetic experience" (Rasmussen, para 9). "Both two- and three-dimensional methods for expression-painting, clay work, and collage" were included to motivate creative activity (D'Amico, 1960, p. 23). Following D'Amico's instructions for the art educator, I allowed students to work freely and independently. I only assisted if a child wasn't sure what to do at a center or how to get started with their artwork. D'Amico believed when the art educator imposed ideas, the student would lose the opportunity to conceive and assimilate their own ideas and methods. It leaves no room for choice or decisions, preventing individual initiative, thought, technique, or style (Pearman, 1957). I did not have many students ask for assistance. I spent most of the class restocking supplies, taking pictures, and finding a place for completed artwork.
As suggested by D'Amico, students could move from center to center and make more than one piece of artwork. Kindergarteners were very excited about this and wanted to try everything. As D'Amico (1960) believed, I found children "responded quickly to the freedom and dynamic quality of the creative approach" (p. 40). My favorite outcome of the day, which was not mentioned in any of the resources or references I found, was the fact that I did not have discipline problems. Everyone was having fun, enjoying the activities, and creating art. Misbehavior did not occur.
Will I hold the FBCS Art Carnival again? Through this study I grew to appreciate Victor D’Amico, his philosophy, and his contribution to the history of teaching art more and more. His dedication to the belief that art education should be built on the experience of making art continues to intrigue me. I would hold the Art Carnival again as an annual event .
Many students expressed interest in having the Art Carnival on a regular basis. I believe adjustments would need to be made. In some areas I think instruction and demonstration would be beneficial. To create a weekly program would involve time, research, and extensive planning. Specifics regarding space, layout, centers, and setup would require thought and careful design. A collection of toys would be needed to use on a rotating basis. I do not think the same toys every week would hold the students’ interest. Likewise, the art centers would require a variety of supplies that could be changed in and out. I would like to try the building center D'Amico describes with cardboard, pipe cleaners, buttons, popsicle sticks, wire, and cotton swabs. Finally, attention would also be needed in designing the room so it could easily and quickly change to accommodate very young students to middle school students.
Has my philosophy of art education changed as a result of this study? As I put the finishing touches on this project I am encouraged to research areas such as Choice Based Art Education and Teaching for Artistic Behavior, both of which adhere to ideas similar to D’Amico. I observed first hand how D'Amico's philosophies on art education worked. Creative thinking was stimulated by the use of toys and the Studio Workshop empowered children to be self-directed. The design encouraged them to use their imagination to create and make art independently. While I do not foresee applying D'Amico's philosophies one hundred percent, I do intend to make adjustments to incorporate some of his ideas.
References
D'Amico, V. (1960). Experiments in creative art. New York, NY: Museum of Modern Art.
Newsom, B. Y., & Silver, A. Z. (Eds.). (1978). The Art Museum as Educator (pp. 56-62). Berkley, CA: University of California Press.
Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=xbG_W0mevmIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_
r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Pearman, C. (Ed.). (1957). Creativeness and reaction in art education. In Dimensions (Vol. 3, pp. 10-14). Ann Arbor, MI:
University of Michigan. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=yatUAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA304&lpg=PA304&dq=
Creativeness+and+Reactions+in+Art+Education&source=bl&ots=kPq48o3GGs&sig=ZGSOPWxxCIavI9s6FUa8z
UAsT8M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vpbWVP7lMKvesATA
Rasmussen, B. (2010, July 25). Mining modern museum education: Briley Rasmussen on Victor D’Amico. Inside Out. Retrieved
from http://www.moma.org/explore/insidout/2010/06/25/mining-modern-museum-education-briley-rasmussen-on-
victor-d-amico
As at D'Amico's Art Carnival, children were provided with a safe and supportive environment that offered "various modes of free-choice learning through visual, tactile, and kinesthetic experience" (Rasmussen, para 9). "Both two- and three-dimensional methods for expression-painting, clay work, and collage" were included to motivate creative activity (D'Amico, 1960, p. 23). Following D'Amico's instructions for the art educator, I allowed students to work freely and independently. I only assisted if a child wasn't sure what to do at a center or how to get started with their artwork. D'Amico believed when the art educator imposed ideas, the student would lose the opportunity to conceive and assimilate their own ideas and methods. It leaves no room for choice or decisions, preventing individual initiative, thought, technique, or style (Pearman, 1957). I did not have many students ask for assistance. I spent most of the class restocking supplies, taking pictures, and finding a place for completed artwork.
As suggested by D'Amico, students could move from center to center and make more than one piece of artwork. Kindergarteners were very excited about this and wanted to try everything. As D'Amico (1960) believed, I found children "responded quickly to the freedom and dynamic quality of the creative approach" (p. 40). My favorite outcome of the day, which was not mentioned in any of the resources or references I found, was the fact that I did not have discipline problems. Everyone was having fun, enjoying the activities, and creating art. Misbehavior did not occur.
Will I hold the FBCS Art Carnival again? Through this study I grew to appreciate Victor D’Amico, his philosophy, and his contribution to the history of teaching art more and more. His dedication to the belief that art education should be built on the experience of making art continues to intrigue me. I would hold the Art Carnival again as an annual event .
Many students expressed interest in having the Art Carnival on a regular basis. I believe adjustments would need to be made. In some areas I think instruction and demonstration would be beneficial. To create a weekly program would involve time, research, and extensive planning. Specifics regarding space, layout, centers, and setup would require thought and careful design. A collection of toys would be needed to use on a rotating basis. I do not think the same toys every week would hold the students’ interest. Likewise, the art centers would require a variety of supplies that could be changed in and out. I would like to try the building center D'Amico describes with cardboard, pipe cleaners, buttons, popsicle sticks, wire, and cotton swabs. Finally, attention would also be needed in designing the room so it could easily and quickly change to accommodate very young students to middle school students.
Has my philosophy of art education changed as a result of this study? As I put the finishing touches on this project I am encouraged to research areas such as Choice Based Art Education and Teaching for Artistic Behavior, both of which adhere to ideas similar to D’Amico. I observed first hand how D'Amico's philosophies on art education worked. Creative thinking was stimulated by the use of toys and the Studio Workshop empowered children to be self-directed. The design encouraged them to use their imagination to create and make art independently. While I do not foresee applying D'Amico's philosophies one hundred percent, I do intend to make adjustments to incorporate some of his ideas.
References
D'Amico, V. (1960). Experiments in creative art. New York, NY: Museum of Modern Art.
Newsom, B. Y., & Silver, A. Z. (Eds.). (1978). The Art Museum as Educator (pp. 56-62). Berkley, CA: University of California Press.
Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=xbG_W0mevmIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_
r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Pearman, C. (Ed.). (1957). Creativeness and reaction in art education. In Dimensions (Vol. 3, pp. 10-14). Ann Arbor, MI:
University of Michigan. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=yatUAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA304&lpg=PA304&dq=
Creativeness+and+Reactions+in+Art+Education&source=bl&ots=kPq48o3GGs&sig=ZGSOPWxxCIavI9s6FUa8z
UAsT8M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vpbWVP7lMKvesATA
Rasmussen, B. (2010, July 25). Mining modern museum education: Briley Rasmussen on Victor D’Amico. Inside Out. Retrieved
from http://www.moma.org/explore/insidout/2010/06/25/mining-modern-museum-education-briley-rasmussen-on-
victor-d-amico