INTRODUCTION

Art education trends in America come in cycles and familiar ideas reappear with a new twist or title. Creative self-expression, reconstructionist theory, and disciplined based art education have all played a major role in the field of art education over the past fifteen years. Efland (1990) states, “the conflict in art education has been between those intent upon teaching the content of art and those seeing it as self-expression” (p. 263). How educators teach art has become increasingly important and widely debated.

The twenty-first century may resolve this long conflict by introducing art education theories and practices that meld together both content and self-expression. Through national school reform and arts infusion, art education K-12 will evolve into a comprehensive pedagogy that reaches across disciplines to help educate the whole child.

 

Timeline of Important Events:

1990 - Iraqi troops invade Kuwait

1991 - Persian Gulf War

1993 - Internet expands with the World Wide Web

1993 - Branch Davidian Compound standoff in Waco, TX

1995 - Oklahoma City bombing

1997 - NASA supercraft lands on Mars

1998 - International Space Station begins construction

2001 - 9/11 Terrorist Attack

2002 - Department of Homeland Security created

2003 - Iraq War

2003 - Space shuttle Columbia disaster

2005 - Hurricane Katrina