ARTFUL AWARENESS: SEEING WITH INTENTION

Open Access
- Author:
- Thomas, Danielle Kristen
- Graduate Program:
- Art Education
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- September 09, 2008
- Committee Members:
- Christine M Thompson, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Christine Marme Thompson, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- the everyday
collaboration
Awareness
sensitivity
artful experience
artful process
capability
john dewey
intellectual emancipation
art education
art
non-art majors
reggio emilia approach - Abstract:
- What kind of abilities does one need to have in order to make art? Though I was not raised explicitly in the visual arts, I’ve watched those around me engage in daily activities with particular awareness and sensitivity. Throughout my years working with non-art majors at Penn State University, and reflecting on my own Art Educational and other notable experiences, I have become interested in how people define art, and how the general population feels about engaging with and making art. Essentially, the non-major course, Art 100, is a collage of multi-media, multi-modal experiences; it addresses Contemporary Art issues and making, as well as how these practices relate to everyday life. The Art 100 students were generally interested in learning about and making art, but they didn’t consider themselves artmakers or “artists.” I wondered what benefits a non-major might gain from taking an Art class with a studio component. And what about a contemporary art studio class where no particular media or technical skill set is predetermined? Can anyone make art?