Exploring and Making Art through Inquiry by Mary Erickson

1. Exploring and Making Art through Inquiry by Mary Erickson

2. Using an inquiry strategy helps • students: • find meaningful connections between the art of others and their own art making. • develop skills identified in the (draft) National Core Visual Arts Standards. • develop English Language Arts skills identified in the Common Core Standards.

3. Part I: Using an inquiry strategy helps students find meaningful connections between their experience with diverse contemporary and historical artworks and their own art making.

4. This strategy* starts with four viewer’s questions you and your students can ask about any artwork, in any sequence. *based on the work of Mary Erickson and developed in conjunction with the Tempe Center for the Arts in Tempe, AZ. What Can I See? What Can I Learn about the Artist’s Life and Times? I See? What Can I Learn about the Artist’s Life & Times? How Does it Compare What Does it Mean? to Other Artworks?

5. These four viewer’s questions correlate with four other questions you and your students can ask, in any sequence, about their own art making. What Choices will I What Ideas Can I Get from Make in My Own Artwork? My Own Life and Times?See? What Can I Learn about the Artist’s Life & Times? What Ideas Can I Get What Do I Want to from Looking at Other Art? Achieve with My Art?

6. How well students understand or appreciate an artwork can depend on how carefully they look at it. Students’ artworks look as they do because of their choices. Text LOOK What Can I See in the Artwork? MAKE CHOICES What Choices Will I Make in My Artwork? KE

7. LOOK MAKE CHOICES These are general, teacher-directed questions you can ask about any artwork to help direct your students’ inquiry through careful observation. SUBJECT MATTER DESIGN ELEMENTS DESIGN PRINCIPLES Will my artwork have subject matter? What one or two elements of design is most important for the success of my artwork? What design principles can I use to organize the elements into an interesting and unified composition? (Continued on next slide) What people, places, or things, if any, are shown in this artwork? What one or two elements (line, shape, light & dark, color, texture, mass, space, or other) are most important in this artwork? Why? How did the artist use design principles to organize elements within this artwork? Text

8. (Continued from preceding slide) These, too, are general, teacher-directed questions you can ask about any artwork to help direct your students’ inquiry through careful observation. LOOK MAKE CHOICES What tools, materials, and processes I am considering? What qualities in my artwork might be difficult to capture in a reproduction (or example, if it were reproduced online or in a photograph or scan). How can I best present and preserve my artwork? What can I see in the artwork that shows the tools, materials, or process the artist used to make it? What might I be missing if Iam not looking at the actual artwork but at this work as a reproduction? How is this artwork protected from harm? Has its condition deteriorated over time? TECHNICAL FEATURES REPRODUCTION CARE Text

9. Sometimes students need information about where and when an artist made an artwork to make sense of it. Students can get art ideas from many sources, including their own life experiences. Text LEARN What Can I Learn about the Life and Times of the Artist? GET IDEAS What Ideas Can I Get from My Own Life and Times?

10. LEARN SEEK IDEAS These are general, teacher-directed questions you can ask about any artwork to help direct your students’ contextual inquiry. What art ideas can I get from my own personal or family experiences? What ideas might I get from my physical environment? What ideas might I get from my culture? Can I get ideas from my art classes, fellow art students, art teachers, or maybe museum visits? Will my work have a function? If so, what function? ARTIST’S LIFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CULTURE ARTWORLD FUNCTION What were the personal background and life experiences of the artist? What are/was the natural or built environment/s like where the artist lives/lived and works/worked? What is the artists culture? What do/did people think, believe, and do in that culture? What art training, traditions, movements, and expectations surround/ed the artist? What function or purpose does/did this artwork serve? For whom? Text

11. Finding connections with other artworks can bring new perspectives to any artwork. Students can get ideas for their own art by looking at artworks by other artists. COMPARE How Does this Artwork Compare with Other Artworks? LOOK AT MORE ART What Ideas Can I Get from Looking at Other Art?

12. COMPARE LOOK AT MORE ART These are general, teacher-directed questions you can ask about any artwork to help direct your students’ inquiry into connections among artworks. Do I want my artwork to be similar in style to my other artworks or artworks other artists have made? How has my artwork been influenced by other artists or their work? What other artist has expresses a big idea similar to the theme in which I am interested? How is this artwork similar in style to other artworks made in the same context (by the same artist, within his/her movement, or within her/his culture)? What earlier artists or artworks influenced this artist? What other artworks can be associated with the theme underlying this artwork? STYLE INFLUENCE THEME Text

13. Interpretation is a process of finding meaning in an artwork and building a case to support it. Students may have clear ideas about what they want to do before making their artworks or their ideas may evolve as they work. INTERPRET What Does this Artwork Mean? SET GOALS What Do I Want to Achieve with My Artwork?

14. INTERPRET SET GOALS These are general, teacher-directed questions you can ask about any artwork to help direct your students’ inquiry into what artworks might mean and into setting their own art making goals. Why did the artist want this artwork to look as it does? How do/did art specialists understand this artwork? How was this artwork understood within the culture of its time or by members of other subcultures (not art specialists)? How might my own personal experiences affect how I understand this artwork? What is my goal as an artist? How would I like my artwork to be understood in the artworld? Which artworld? Do I want my work to reflect or impact my culture or society? What are my personal goals for this artwork? ARTIST’S INTENTION ART SPECIALISTS’ UNDERSTANDINGS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS YOUR OWN VIEWPOINT Text

15. Independent Inquiry As students practice art inquiry, they can adapt general, teacher-directed questions to the specifics of particular artists or artworks or to their own art making skills and interests. Ultimately, students can become independent inquirers able to direct their own inquiries about art and through art making.

16. Part II: Using an inquiry strategy helps students develop skills identified in the (draft) National Core Visual Arts Standards. CR = Creating P = Presenting R= Responding For the sake of brevity, only HS Proficiency standards are listed, though standards for other grade levels can also be addressed through this inquiry approach.

17. SUBJECT MATTER DESIGN ELEMENTS DESIGN PRINCIPLES TECHNICAL FEATURES REPRODUCTION CARE LOOK & MEET (DRAFT) CORE VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS R2A: Establish relevant criteria in order to evaluate a work of art or collection of works. (also COMPARE) Text

18. SUBJECT MATTER DESIGN ELEMENTS DESIGN PRINCIPLES TECHNICAL FEATURES REPRODUCTION CARE MAKE CHOICES & MEET (DRAFT) CORE VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS CR3B: Apply relevant criteria from traditional and contemporary contexts to examine, reflect on and plan revisions for works of art and design in progress. P3A: Select and use a specific form of technology for presenting and preserving art. Text

19. ARTIST’S LIFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CULTURE ARTWORLD FUNCTION LEARN & MEET (DRAFT) CORE VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS P3B: Describe the impact that an exhibition or collection had on one’s personal awareness of social, cultural or political beliefs and understandings. R1D: Explain how the visual arts have affected and are reflected in the culture, traditions, and history of a defined group. Text

20. ARTIST’S LIFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CULTURE ARTWORLD FUNCTION SEEK IDEAS & MEET (DRAFT) CORE VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS CR1A: Utilize multiple approaches to begin creative endeavors. (also LOOK AT MORE ART) CR2A: Investigate an aspect of contemporary life using a contemporary artmaking process. CR2C: Understand how traditional and nontraditional materials may impact human health and the environment and demonstrate safe handling of materials. CR2D: Use effective communication approaches to tell a personal narrative. CR2E: Collaboratively develop a proposal for an installation, artwork or space that transforms the perception and experience of a particular space. (also SET GOALS) Text

21. COMPARE & MEET (DRAFT) CORE VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS STYLE INFLUENCE THEME P1A: Analyze, select and curate artifacts and/or artworks for presentation and preservation. P1B: Analyze and defend choices, and establish goals for work included in a portfolio or collection. P2A: Analyze and evaluate the reasons and ways an exhibition was presented. R2A: Establish relevant criteria in order to evaluate a work of art or collection of works. (Also LOOK)

22. LOOK AT MORE ART & MEET (DRAFT) CORE VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS STYLE INFLUENCE THEME CR1A: Utilize multiple approaches to begin creative endeavors.(also SEEK IDEAS)

23. ARTIST’S INTENTION ART SPECIALISTS’ UNDERSTANDINGS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS YOUR OWN VIEWPOINT INTERPRET & MEET (DRAFT) CORE VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS R1A: Analyze how one’s own understanding of the world is affected by experiencing visual imagery. R1B: Interpret an artwork or collection of works, supported by relevant and sufficient evidence found in the work and in various contexts. R1C: Hypothesize how works of art influence ways people perceive and understand human experience. R3A: Explain how personal life choices evolve through knowledge and interaction with the visual arts.

24. ARTIST’S INTENTION ART SPECIALISTS’ UNDERSTANDINGS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS YOUR OWN VIEWPOINT SET GOALS & MEET (DRAFT) CORE VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS CR1B: Document process of developing nascent idea to complex, fully elaborated idea. CR2B: Engage in making a work of art without having a preconceived plan. CR2E: Collaboratively develop a proposal for an installation, artwork or space that transforms the perception and experience of a particular space. (also SEEK IDEAS) CR3A: Demonstrate openness to new ideas gained through a variety of artistic investigations.

25. Part III: Using an inquiry strategy helps students develop English Language Arts skills identified in the Common Core standards. Sample standards for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-10 are listed. NOTE: Artworks can be understood both as primary sources and as text.

26. SUBJECT MATTER DESIGN ELEMENTS DESIGN PRINCIPLES TECHNICAL FEATURES REPRODUCTION CARE LOOK & MEET ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STANDARDS Elementary: R.4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text [artwork], including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. Middle School: RST.6-8.4: Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics. High School: RST.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9–10 texts and topics. Text

27. LEARN & MEET ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STANDARDS ARTIST’S LIFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CULTURE ARTWORLD FUNCTION Elementary: R.1: Read closely to determine what the text [artwork] says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. Middle School: RST.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. High School: RST.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions. Text

28. COMPARE & MEET ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STANDARDS STYLE INFLUENCE THEME Elementary: R.9: Analyze how two or more texts [artworks] address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. Middle School: 6-8.RH.9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source* on the same topic. High School: 9-10.RH.9. Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources*. *Artworks are dominant primary courses in art inquiry. Secondary sources are determined by context.

29. ARTIST’S INTENTION ART SPECIALISTS’ UNDERSTANDINGS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS YOUR OWN VIEWPOINT INTERPRET & MEET ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMMON CORE STANDARDS Elementary: W.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts [artworks] using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Middle School: WHST.6-8.2f: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. High School: WHST.9-10.2f: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).

30. Art Inquiry Resouces Almost all instructional materials on Mary Erickson Ventures focus on art inquiry. For a PowerPoint presentation that introduces young people to art inquiry, click on “Tempe Center for the Arts Lessons,” then scroll down and click on “Twenty Questions.”

31. References Addiss, S. & Erickson, M. (1993). Art history and art education, Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois. Erickson, M. (1977). Uses of history in art education. Studies in Art Education, 18(3), 22-29. Erickson, M. (1983). Teachng art history as inquiry process, Art Education, 35(5), 28-31. Erickson, M. & Villeneuve, P. (2004). Educators Resource. In G. Keller. M. Erickson, & P. Villeneuve (Eds.), Chicano art for our millennium (pp.155-191). Bilingual Press: Tempe, AZ. Erickson, M. (2005). Art making and meaning. Tucson, AZ: Crizmac. Erickson, M., Dock, M., & Eldridge, L. (2010). Questor questions. School Arts, 109(3), pp. 44-25.