lity, permanence, and form. These factors cannot be applied to art from every culture. For example, African art is understood in terms of rites of passage, healing, power, control, and commerce. Students must be taught to understand the principles of art as they are understood by the cultural group in which they belong in order to truly achieve global awareness and appreciation for art. Obviously, teachers must gain this awareness themselves before they can impart it to their students. Travel, physically or intellectually, is necessary for teachers who truly aspire to instill a devotion to open-mindedness and tolerance in their students. Furthermore, teachers themselves must be open to teaching about culturally diverse art, and learning the history and meaning of behind such pieces. As teachers, we must constantly be open to expanding our base of knowledge and learning new information to share with our students.It is important to note that teaching art requires more than just looking at pictures, listening to music or watching a dance. To teach art in a truly meaningful way, principles of art history, production, criticism and aesthetics must be explored. Students must be taught to value not only the beauty of art, but also the meaning, elements and the history of art. Students do not naturally look at a painting and know the principles contained in it, who created it and for what purpose. Students must learn how to view and critique art in order to understand it. This understanding can come from being immersed in an environment in which art is an essential component to learning. If art is integrated throughout the curriculum, and is not relegated to half an hour per week of drawing, cutting or pasting, then students can develop a love and understanding for a variety of creative experiences involving artistic expression. An environment supportive of art development can be obtained in any classroom in which the teacher instills in the st...
