Understanding the Visual Arts

This visual arts resource is intended to help classroom teachers participating in the ESD 105 ArtFusion Art Integration (AIM) Project. Feel free to use these resources in your classroom with students and as part of your lesson development.
Links: OSPI Visual Arts Standards | Art Timeline | Search AIM Lessons | Visual Arts Glossary | Visual Art Poster

What are the arts?
The arts are made up of of dance, music, theatre and the visual arts. Washington State has developed Learning Standards, Assessments and Grade Level Expectations for the arts that can be found here: http://k12.wa.us/Arts/default.aspx.

What is art?
This is a difficult question to answer because there are many different interpretations. Art can be defined as form and content with form being the painting materials, the use of the elements of art and principles of design used in the piece and content describing meaning or interpretation of the art piece. Art can also be described as containing the following:
1. Subject -What recognizable objects do you see in the art? If there are no objects then the lines, shapes and forms become the subject.
2. Composition - How has the artist used the principles of art to organized the elements?
3. Content - What is the art communicating? You can use the Visual Thinking Strategies listed below to draw out responses.

Feel free to use the Elements of Art and Principles of Design presentations developed by Laura Wise in your lessons or view the Visual Arts poster.  See the glossary for more definitions as well.

Can I Learn to Draw?
Yes! Anyone can draw, like many other skill-based activities (playing the piano, playing tennis, etc.) you can achieve proficiency when you learn and practice the elements of art and principles of design. Many have been discouraged from attempting to draw/paint believing it necessary to have been born with talent. If you practice you can become very good at using the elements of art and principles of design in your art.

What is Art Integration?
Art integration involves teachers of non-arts subjects working alongside arts specialists or teaching artists to create collaborative lesson plans that infuse standards-based arts instruction into non-arts subjects such as math, science, language arts and social studies in order to help students better comprehend and retain the non-arts concepts. Both the non-arts subject and the arts target specific standards-based outcomes. Click here to view the Washington State Visual Arts Standards document.
In arts integrated classrooms students score higher on achievement tests and demonstrate an increase in critical thinking skills, self-confidence and retention. Visit our Arts Education Research page for more information.

How do I Talk About an Artwork?
You can talk about an artworks form and contents as follows: form is discussed by determining how the artist used the elements of art and principles of design, i.e. "I like the way the artist chose to create space in the artwork." or you can discuss the content of the artwork by using the Visual Thinking Strategy questions listed here:
What's going on in this picture?
What do you see that makes you say that?
What else can you find?
Introduction to VTS video from Visual Thinking Strategies. This video may be blocked by your schools web filter.

AIM Recommended Lesson Development
Year 1 teachers, when beginning the lesson development process you need to remember that your students have probably not had any formal art instruction so your first lessons should focus on the followng GLEs:
1.1.1-line
1.1.2-shape & form
1.1.3-value
1.1.4-texture
1.1.5-space
1.1.7-Principles of design - Repetition & pattern, contrast, emphasis & dominance, variety, balance, movement & rhythm, proportion and harmony & unity.
1.2.1-Skills and Techniques
Artwork - I suggest using Henri Matisse’s “The Dessert Harmony in Red” or Joan Miro’s “The Tilled Field” when introducing line, shape and form to your students. These images are available on the Art Timeline.