“Few people are considered statesmen within their chosen profession but this, indeed, is an apt characterization of Ralph Smith's stature within the field of art education.... This compilation provides an opportunity to study the development of his thinking over the past three decades.”
—From the Foreword by George Geahigan, Purdue University

“This is the best book on the Arts and Humanities to appear for many years.”
—Ron Berman, University of California, San Diego

“This impressive overview of Ralph Smith's writings demonstrates the continuing relevance of his powerful argument...an argument all arts educators need to take to heart if their profession is to be soundly based.”
—Bennett Reimer, John W. Beattie Professor of Music Education Emeritus, Northwestern University

“A blueprint for pursuit of artistic excellence for all learners.”
—Mary Ann Stankiewicz, The Pennsylvania State University

This collection of Ralph Smith’s writings provides a comprehensive overview of his extraordinary contributions to understanding the importance of aesthetics in education. These essays record his lifelong efforts to construct a defensible rationale for the arts in general education and a workable curriculum for art education in our public schools (K–16). The topics covered range from liberal education to arts education, the relationship of art, aesthetics, and aesthetic education to teaching and curriculum, the arts and the humanities, and cultural diversity.

Contents:

PART ONE: BACKGROUND AND VISION

• Arts Education as Liberal Education
• Philosophy and Theory of Aesthetic Education
• Art, the Human Career, and Aesthetic Education
• Problems for a Philosophy of Art Education

PART TWO: THE ARTWORLD AND ART EDUCATION

• Concepts, Concept Learning, and Art Education
• The Artworld and Aesthetic Skills: A Context for Research and Development
• Teaching Aesthetic Criticism in the Schools
• An Excellence Curriculum for Art Education

PART THREE: THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES

• Aesthetic Education: A Critical Necessity
• Toward Percipience: A Humanities Curriculum for Arts Education
• Teaching Music as One of the Humanities
• Re-moralization and Aesthetic Education

PART FOUR: ART AND DIVERSITY

• The Uses of Cultural Diversity

Ralph A. Smith is Professor Emeritus of Cultural and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.