How Fine are the Fine Arts?

I remember when my now college student, Ally, was in 4th grade and we had just begun home schooling.  Ally and I poured over curriculum and researched so many different approaches that I felt like I was back in school!  One of the things that caught my attention early on was the idea of incorporating fine arts education into home schooling.  Even though she had come from a private school, Ally didn't have much of a fine arts education. She loved and still loves to paint and draw (a quality she received from my mother…definitely not me!).That was about as much fine art as we had in our home.  I had been teaching about eight years at that time and never considered fine arts in the classroom because there just wasn't any time for it. However, with the whole new world of home schooling in front of us, leaving behind bells and lines and required curriculum, I felt a tremendous sense of freedom and decided, yes, we definitely needed fine arts in our studies. 

I began to educate myself by the most sensible way I knew at that point…going to the library.  I checked out books on artists from a variety of time periods, read books about how to evaluate art, discovered the great composers and brought home hoards of materials.  Although I never had a passion for the fine arts, I have always had a passion for learning, so began my art and music education. I tried to recall my college art appreciation class and only remembered my grade for the one major paper. 

Below are the major points that I learned through that process and over the years to come concerning fine arts in our home. 

1.  Each family should define "fine arts" in their own way. Some of the great blessings of home schooling are that you can put the emphasis where you choose and you can develop your schooling program around your family's core beliefs and values without concern about what others are doing or think. Case in point, I don't think Andy Warhol was much of an artist.  It's not just that I don't like his style, I just don't see the great art potential in his work. There's not much there to even analyze for me. However, I really love Norman Rockwell.  His ability to catch the human spirit in expression and activity totally blows me away. I can look at his work repeatedly and find new things to enjoy every time. Crazily enough, by the world's standards Andy Warhol is an artist and Norman Rockwell is an illustrator (basically because his most popular work was on magazine covers). Now, you may strongly disagree.  You may have Campbell Soup renditions all over your house and spend hours each day delighted by their vibrant colors and realness. Or you may find Norman Rockwell bland and unoriginal because he chose real people as his subjects and really did do his best work for The Saturday Evening Post. That's the beauty of it. Determining which art is fine for your family is your decision.

2. Just because they're naked doesn't mean they're art. Artists have painted the human body in a variety of ways and sculpted them in even more variations. If nudity determines artistic credence, then you can find plenty of fine art in convenience store magazine racks. There is a major difference, although I have met "artists" who don't agree, between admiring God's handiwork in the beautiful creation of the human body and simply painting nude people because others will look at them.

3. Just because they're naked doesn't mean they're not art. I am not legalistic about the presentation of the human body. I did not have a problem explaining Michelangelo's David to my children. However, there have definitely been graphic paintings and provocative sculptures that I deemed inappropriate. Children are often fascinated by the human body and presenting it in a God created expression through art can be very healthy. Other presentations create pictures in their minds that are not easily removed.

4. Art and Music are excellent tools for teaching discernment. These are great areas for demonstrating the worldly vs. godly viewpoints. Art and Music with violent or graphic themes may still be considered art and music, but that does not mean they're appropriate for a believer's heart to embrace. Teaching our children from early on that ungodly examples exist in literature, fine art, movies etc. can only benefit them. I am amazed at how many parents allow their children to read poorly written books with negative, sometimes even anti-God themes, and rationalize it by saying "At least he's reading". Whether we're looking at art, listening to music, reading a book or watching a movie, none of those activities are valuable in themselves. What our mind and heart processes through the experience is the valuable component.

5. "Exposure" has not been proven a good teacher. I was a teacher when the government decided that exposing elementary age children to drugs and how those drugs affect people would prevent the children from using drugs later. The same decision was made about AIDs and safe sex. It didn't take long to realize that simply exposing children to something isn't quite the same as educating them.  As well, a child can be educated about many things without having to be exposed to them. Simply exposing your children to art and music, even the really good stuff, won't necessarily do much.  Interaction and communication are better teachers.  Discussing why something is considered art or considered fine, leading your child to examine art and listen closely to music, and integrating fine arts with writing or other academic areas will all produce a higher quality of education than visiting a multitude of museums and simply showing them.

6. Go with your gut. If a work of art makes you feel uncomfortable or evokes negative emotions, go with your instincts and prayerfully consider whether it won't cause the same emotional reaction for your child.

As parents and teachers, we have a tremendous responsibility to not only educate our children but also to train them to educate themselves. When we look at any component of their education, we want to make sure that their education has real value. Teaching or doing something because other families do or simply as a desire to instill as much knowledge as possible into our children will not produce the best results. As you decide what components are incorporated in your child's education, don't overlook the arts. However, remember that a Christ centered education means that all aspects of study relate back to God and His will.

If you'd like to view some fine arts options online, check out Epi Kardia's resource links where you can visit The Louvre, take a virtual tour through the National Gallery of Art and more!  Just go to www.epikardia.com/links.htm .