Art Therapy VS. Art Education

Caitlin SchwarzChelsea SihotaTanya de Frias

Art Education Activity

Using your black construction paper and some squares of red tissue paper, glue the tissue paper into the shape of an apple.

Art Therapy Activity

Choose a monumental time in your life and chose some colours and use lines to draw a representational or non-representational image to represent the emotions you experienced during that time.

Peter London’s Article

Believes that art education has a flawed foundation.

Suggests new assumptions based on the foundations of art therapy.

Believes, as an art educator, that art is an essential means to a civilized society.

London’s ArgumentDirect contrast to parallels in art therapyArt should be self-centered before it can be others centered.

Art should be posed as a form of reflection instead of ‘pleasure’.

Civilization is the result of inner balance and not aestheticism.

London’s ConcernsArt Education is:

On the fringes of the curriculumUnder-fundedA decorative frill

False Assumptions

Possible SolutionAdvocating for change in Art EducationWorkshopsInformation in Staff RoomNewsletters and Journals for educators

Edith Kramer’s Article

Tries to link art therapy and art education by discussing three things:Process VS. Product Oriented theoryUses of praise and rewardsThe role of competition in art

Kramer’s ArgumentThere are many similarities and many differences between art therapy and art education.

As an art therapist, she tends to focus a lot more on the differences, as a result, she had several concerns.

Edith Kramer’s First Concern

If it is assumed that the purpose of art education is to create a product with a specific result in mind, that is demeaning to the profession.

Possible SolutionLook at other ways of applying art to the classroom that focus more on artistic process.

Edith Kramer’s Second Concern

Parents and administration demand easily demonstrable achievements and finished work.

Possible SolutionCompromise with parents and administration.

Educate or explain why a different approach is necessary.

Edith Kramer’s Third Concern

Disturbed children’s preoccupations with inner conflicts frequently make them inaccessible to conventional educative methods.

Possible SolutionMake modified lessons for such students.

Assess process rather than completed works.

Edith Kramer’s Fourth Concern

Art Education does not provide the training necessary for art therapy.

Possible SolutionAttending workshops.Brining in an art therapist to the classroom to do some activities with the students.

Agree or DisagreeWe agree to some extent with both articles; art in the classroom should be process oriented as opposed to product oriented.

What’s Missing?London neglects to consider to the fullest extent the differences between art therapy and art education.

The Kramer article lacks a coherent structure; and this detracts greatly from the clarity of her argument.

Practical Implications for

the ClassroomResearch methods and apply them in the classroom

Celebrate any steps in ego-functioning a child makes

Change lesson rationales Change lesson delivery and focus more on process and less on product

Practical Implications of

RewardsIn discussing rewards Kramer says:“It is wise to resort to them mainly as an incentive for performing unpleasant duties or dull routine tasks, but to refrain from using them where it can be reasonably expected that the work itself will be gratifying.”

Questions to Stimulate Discussion

Using the information we have provided you, compare and contrast the two introductory activities.

Do you have any suggestion on how to better reconcile art education and art therapy?