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Visual Arts Education : The Importance Of Art Education

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Art Education is an intricate dance between what is needed, wanted, and reflected by society. The ancient Greeks had a belief that those who created, such as a craftsman, should be shown little respect or appreciation. The importance was placed on music and the affluent did not participate in the visual arts. Even though there was resistance, Plato was a visual arts advocate and the Greek’s granted visual arts its own curriculum. The Romans maintained this position on the visual arts. However, in the Middle Ages, monks began to practice art; such as the Illuminated Manuscripts. They would then train others extensively in apprenticeships. New technologies, brought new processes that were taught in this same time consuming workshop fashion. The Renaissance, and its focus on beauty and the figure, brought a new attitude of respect and admiration for the visual arts. It was taught as classical training along with the workshops. The French developed a more structured way of how and what was to be taught concerning the visual arts in their own academies. However, all of these advances were mostly only available to the rich. This attitude was carried into colonial America where art was taught as a “luxury pursuit” (Efland, 1990) that was not deemed as very lucrative. The Industrial Revolution played an important role in the alteration of arts education. Visual Arts education now needed to include design and production aspects and focuses. At this time the German

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