NIU Art Education Position Statements

• Art is evidence of human cognition across time and cultures.

• Art is more than objects exhibited in museums and galleries. It has become a commodity that is part of market economy and multi-sensory experience.

• Justice, equality, dignity, and self-determination are the centerpieces of a quality art education.

• Critical issues of social justice are part of all art education courses.

• Students should see their own cultural experiences reflected in curricula and develop skills necessary for cross-cultural understanding.

• Diversity education is not just for students from ethnic minority cultures, but for all students.

• Good art education is not achieved by transmitting inert facts. Learning, while adapted to the styles of individual students, should be born of students’ curiosity, informed by inquiry processes and centered on challenging content.

• Processes for instituting good education in art are complex, multi-layered, and yet manageable.

• The artistic process is one “way of knowing” and has generalizability to other areas of study within the curriculum.

• Visual education is essential in contemporary culture because of the abundance of information that is communicated visually. Art students must be taught to be competent coders and de-coders of visual information.

• Good art education includes, but is not limited to issues addressing cultures, religions/spiritual beliefs, nationalities, mental and physical challenges, socioeconomic status, gender, and sexual orientation.