Teaching Contemporary Art With Young People: Themes in Art for K-12 Classrooms

This practical resource will help educators teach about current art and integrate its philosophy and methods into the K–12 classroom. The authors provide a framework that looks at art through the lens of nine themes—everyday life, work, power, earth, space and place, self and others, change and time, inheritance, and visual culture—highlighting the conceptual aspects of art and connecting disparate forms of expression. They also provide guidelines and examples for how to use contemporary art to change the dynamics of a classroom, apply inventive non-linear lenses to topics, broaden and update the art “canon,” and spur creative and critical thinking. Young people will find the selected artwork accessible and relevant to their lives, diverse and expansive, probing, serious and funny. Challenging conventional notions of what should be considered art and how it should be created, this book offers a sampling of what is out there to inspire educators and students to explore the limitless world of new art.

Book Features:

  • Indicators and lenses that make contemporary art more familiar, accessible, understandable, and useable for teachers.
  • Easy-to-reference descriptions and images from a variety of contemporary artists.
  • Strategies for integrating art thinking across the curriculum.
  • Suggestions to help teachers find contemporary art to fit their curriculum and school settings.
  • Concrete examples of art-based projects from both art and general classrooms.
  • Guidance for developing curriculum, including how to create guiding questions to spur student thinking.
1139112372
Teaching Contemporary Art With Young People: Themes in Art for K-12 Classrooms

This practical resource will help educators teach about current art and integrate its philosophy and methods into the K–12 classroom. The authors provide a framework that looks at art through the lens of nine themes—everyday life, work, power, earth, space and place, self and others, change and time, inheritance, and visual culture—highlighting the conceptual aspects of art and connecting disparate forms of expression. They also provide guidelines and examples for how to use contemporary art to change the dynamics of a classroom, apply inventive non-linear lenses to topics, broaden and update the art “canon,” and spur creative and critical thinking. Young people will find the selected artwork accessible and relevant to their lives, diverse and expansive, probing, serious and funny. Challenging conventional notions of what should be considered art and how it should be created, this book offers a sampling of what is out there to inspire educators and students to explore the limitless world of new art.

Book Features:

  • Indicators and lenses that make contemporary art more familiar, accessible, understandable, and useable for teachers.
  • Easy-to-reference descriptions and images from a variety of contemporary artists.
  • Strategies for integrating art thinking across the curriculum.
  • Suggestions to help teachers find contemporary art to fit their curriculum and school settings.
  • Concrete examples of art-based projects from both art and general classrooms.
  • Guidance for developing curriculum, including how to create guiding questions to spur student thinking.
26.49 In Stock
Teaching Contemporary Art With Young People: Themes in Art for K-12 Classrooms

Teaching Contemporary Art With Young People: Themes in Art for K-12 Classrooms

Teaching Contemporary Art With Young People: Themes in Art for K-12 Classrooms

Teaching Contemporary Art With Young People: Themes in Art for K-12 Classrooms

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Overview

This practical resource will help educators teach about current art and integrate its philosophy and methods into the K–12 classroom. The authors provide a framework that looks at art through the lens of nine themes—everyday life, work, power, earth, space and place, self and others, change and time, inheritance, and visual culture—highlighting the conceptual aspects of art and connecting disparate forms of expression. They also provide guidelines and examples for how to use contemporary art to change the dynamics of a classroom, apply inventive non-linear lenses to topics, broaden and update the art “canon,” and spur creative and critical thinking. Young people will find the selected artwork accessible and relevant to their lives, diverse and expansive, probing, serious and funny. Challenging conventional notions of what should be considered art and how it should be created, this book offers a sampling of what is out there to inspire educators and students to explore the limitless world of new art.

Book Features:

  • Indicators and lenses that make contemporary art more familiar, accessible, understandable, and useable for teachers.
  • Easy-to-reference descriptions and images from a variety of contemporary artists.
  • Strategies for integrating art thinking across the curriculum.
  • Suggestions to help teachers find contemporary art to fit their curriculum and school settings.
  • Concrete examples of art-based projects from both art and general classrooms.
  • Guidance for developing curriculum, including how to create guiding questions to spur student thinking.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780807779774
Publisher: Teachers College Press
Publication date: 10/08/2021
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Sales rank: 222,373
File size: 109 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Julia Marshall is professor emeritus of art education at San Francisco State University. Her books include Integrating the Visual Arts Across the Curriculum and Art-Centered Learning Across the Curriculum. Connie Stewart is a professor of art education at the University of Northern Colorado, School of Art and Design. Anne Thulson is an associate professor of art education at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments viii

Introduction 1

Reflections From Anne Thulson 1

Reflections From Connie Stewart 1

Reflections From Julia Marshall 2

About This Book 2

Part I Overview of Contemporary Art and Links to Education

1 Contemporary Art Julia Marshall 7

Characteristics of Contemporary Art 7

Final Thoughts 12

2 Exploding the Canon Anne Thulson 14

The Canon 14

Enlarging the Canon 15

3 Curating Artists for the Classroom Anne Ihulson 16

Researching: A Sustainable Practice 16

Looking at the Criteria Through Eightmile Whisper 17

Editing: Covering Up to Uncover 19

Archiving 20

Combining 20

Sharing 24

Part II Themes in Contemporary Art

4 We Need to Know About That! Connie Stewart 27

The Purpose of Teaching With Themes 27

Summary of the Themes 27

Conclusion 28

5 Exploring Contemporary Art Through Themes 29

Theme 1 Self and Others Jorge Lucero 29

Emphasizing Relationships 29

Contemporary Art With a Focus on Relationships 30

Guide to Teaching Theme 1 33

Theme 2 Science, Nature, and the Earth Trena Hoval 34

Contemporary Art That Spans Art and Science 34

Mutual Processes and Their Value 34

Artists Who Explore Nature and Science 34

Guide to Teaching Theme 2 37

Theme 3 The Everyday Connie Stewart 38

Artists and The Everyday 38

Guide to Teaching Theme 3 41

Theme 4 Space and Place Rachael Delaney 42

Artists, Place, and Space 43

Conclusion 44

Guide to Teaching Theme 4 45

Theme 5 Power Pamela Harris Lawton 46

Recognizing Power 46

Powerful Artists and Artworks 47

Guide to Teaching Theme 5 50

Theme 6 Popular Culture Lisa Hochtritt 51

Using Popular Culture in Art 51

Artists Who Connect to Popular Culture 52

Guide to Teaching Theme 6 54

Theme 7 Work Connie Stewart 55

Artists and Work 55

Guide to Teaching Theme 7 59

Theme 8 Time and Change Paulina Camacho Valencia 60

Embracing Constant Flux 60

Art, Time, and Change 60

Conclusion 62

Guide to Teaching Theme 8 63

Theme 9 Inheritance Julia Marshall 64

Historical Forms and Memes Convey Ideas 64

History Is the Subject 64

Artists and Inheritance 65

Guide to Teaching Theme 9 67

Further Thoughts About Themes Julia Marshall 68

Ways to Think About Themes 68

Mining and Mapping Themes 68

Artworks Harbor Many Themes 69

Mapping the Overlaps 72

Mapping the Development of Knowledge and Thinking About an Image 72

Finding Themes Outside of Art 74

Conclusion 76

Part III Classroom Applications of Contemporary Art

6 Why Contemporary Art in the Classroom? Julia Marshall 79

Contemporary Art: Opening Up 79

Concluding Thoughts 82

7 Transferring Contemporary Art to the Classroom Anne Thulson Connie Stewart 86

Strategies for Introducing Students to Contemporary Art 86

The Importance of Teacher Dispositions 90

And Classroom Practices Keep Evolving 91

Ideas for Introducing and Scaffolding Artmaking 92

8 Framing the invisible Anne Ihulson 93

Documentation: A Practice in Contemporary Art 93

Documentation: An Essential Part of Contemporary Art Curriculum 93

How to Use Documentation to Change a School's Visual Culture 94

Documentation as a Sustainable Practice 95

Meaningful Assessment Through Documentation 96

A Way Forward 98

Contemporary Art and Students With Special Needs, by Liz McAvoy 99

9 Developing Classroom Projects Based on Contemporary Art 100

Project 1 Population Growth Helper Robots (K-1) Jesse Bott Christine Loehr Rachael Delaney 100

Concepts 100

Understanding Goals 101

What Happened 101

Field Trip and Readings 102

Artists and Artwork 103

Conclusion 103

Project 2 Telling Our Stories-Symbolic Self-Portraits (High School) Sara Sttllman 104

Overview 104

Concepts 104

Understanding Goals 105

Materials 105

Resources 105

What Happened 105

Strategies for Making Learning Visible and Supporting Artmaking 106

The Power of the Graphic Memoir 106

Reflections 107

Project 3 Finding Inspiration in Contemporary Art (Middle School) Lindsey Shepard 107

Overview 107

Concepts 107

Understanding Goals 107

Materials 107

What Happened/Teaching and Learning Strategies 108

Making Learning Visible 108

An Example: Danielle's Artwork 109

Conclusion/Reflections 110

Project 4 Art of Popular Culture (High School) Katherine Ciese 110

Overview 110

Concept 111

Understanding Goals 111

Materials and Resources 111

Scaffolding Activities 111

Making and Doing 111

Reflection and Final Scaffolding 114

An Example of Student Work 114

Teacher Reflection 114

Project 5 Building Critical and Creative Thinking Through Investigating Contemporary Art (Middle School) Wendi Oster 116

Beginning the Investigation 117

Making Inferences 117

Researching 118

Making Personal Connections 118

Applying Their Learning 119

Conclusion 121

Appendix A Q and A With Two Contemporary Artists: Kathy Aoki and Yunjin La-Mei Woo 122

Appendix B Artist Resource Bank 125

Credits 127

Index 129

About the Authors and the Contributors 135

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This book benefits art educators—art teachers, preservice art teachers, and art education professors—who are interested in teaching contemporary art and artists to their students but do not know where to begin, as well as art educators who question the value of teaching contemporary art and artists. I especially appreciate the concrete contemporary art and artists theme-based unit examples, which guide readers on design and implementation within their unique pedagogical context.”
Jaehan Bae, associate professor of art education, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh


“If you are feeling overwhelmed by how to incorporate contemporary art into your curriculum, you will be motivated by this resource that inspires readers to expand their canon. Each thoughtfully crafted section supports practical application in the art classroom. It is a pioneering resource for teachers to meet the new generation of students with art made today.”
Lorinda Rice, art curriculum specialist, Lincoln Public Schools

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