This workshop introduces visual culture K-12 curricula. Visual Culture for this purpose includes the study of contemporary art forms, traditional art forms, media, magazines,film, popular music and culture as well as photography and advertising. The focus of the curriculum ideas is to look at production in any of these areas with the critical eye of an art observer. The idea is to develop a sense of deep inquiry and thoughtful discussion about many areas of our culture which have direct impact on our aesthetic experience and being.

Links to this site provide book and material lists, Web references, topics, and ideas for projects. Explore two lessons, one on Identity (for middle to high school) and the other on how advertising effects Point of View (for all ages with different items analyzed).

Perceptions of reality differ among students. Yet, these perceptions are real. Cultural conditioning is how we construct perceptions of reality. Examine the point of view that you are teaching. Drawing can be a form of meditation on the visual culture surrounding us if we use drawing to look critically at the visual world. Observing in detail and recording and discussing can lead us to see the environment more clearly. Visual culture lessons can take the practices of the traditional fine art aesthetic and criticism classroom into all disciplines to help teachers encourage greater self awareness in students.

These lessons move us toward living in clarity without conflict. The more we look the more inequities we discover. Many artists today relate to situations of inequity and problems with taking care of the environment. Many artists explore personal philosophies and paths. Many artists expand traditional notions of what constitutes artforms. Art making can and does occur in every area and discipline in life today. It is the intension of the maker and the acknowledgement by the viewer that makes any endeavor into an art work.(note throughts of artist Robert Irwin)

Students will learn about the activities of contemporary artists and other creators of visual culture. The goal is to increase students' self-knowledge by looking at the structure of art knowledge, transforming the knowledge into their art, and produce something tangible that conveys what they've learned about themselves and the world.

This project is dedicated to the students and teachers of the Art Ed Block at Penn State University in the Fall 2002 and Dr. Karen Keifer-Boyd who brought me into the computer age. The memories of our time together will last a lifetime.

The purpose of education is to increase the skills as well as the self-awareness of students so they may become more complete, reasonable, competent high functioning citizens at peace with the lives they live and the careers they have chosen.

Please join me in this exploration together of Visual Culture Studies. You may wish to begin by perusing the Visual Culture Biography. For your useVisual culture poster and Topic Poster are included to print.

2003 © Tory Franklin-Dillon