National Art Education Association

On Golden Oldies: Celebrating 50 Years of NAEAAuthor(s): Mary Ann StankiewiczSource: Art Education, Vol. 50, No. 1, Celebrating 50 Years of NAEA (Jan., 1997), pp. 4-5Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193666 .

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WI'EEUUEU

ON GOLDEN OLDIES:

T -s sually this journal publishes manuscripts

received in response to calls for tb.m 1..

issues or as expressions of topis a :" " j

cern art educators. For this specia|a| J V

sary issue, we changed our proce dJe.

Five past editors of the journal were asked to select one artic

"worth re-reading" from an assigned decade. Their choices might

be considered a documentary history of the past 50 years in art

education, sketching changing relations between art and American

society, as well as growth of support for a comprehensive, balanced

art curriculum.

Cecilia, who is nine, likes to listen to the local "oldies" station as

I drive the early morning school-band carpool. Sometimes she and

her twelve-year-old sister will ask, "Where were you when you first

heard the Beatles?" Some readers may find themselves recalling

where they were when they first read one of the articles reprinted to

celebrate NAEA's 50th anniversary. Others will realize that they

were (like myself) one of those 1954 first graders mentioned by

Ri?.:alpreh" Betlke. "Still .others iReMad this issue to learn what was hap-

pening in art education before theyiweireborn. BI..,. ,.. 5 . S. '11.. ; B, .g a n i z.

" Th N aina A.t ucati Ascatio organizedin 1947

ltoli iresent at ta acro ihe'United States ad improve

conditions firteaching art The- neworanization`resultadfrom the

iimerige^r of2 four reginalart daion associtions Ithe Wesern

ilAl ssociatio:n, and .acific.A rts.. As.ci ion^ arndn w asothe,first inde-|

.e ithe siib-

sidiaries of larger organizations or elite groups that did not repre-

sent the interests of K-12 art teachers. In July 1883, for example, a

Department of Art Education was organized as a sixth department

in the National Education Association (NEA). This department

continued, with ups and downs, into the 1940s, but following

World War II it was down to 127 members (Saunders, n.d.). From

1925 through 1935, the Federated Council on Art Education

(FCAE) attempted to unify prominent arts organizations by bring-

ing together representatives from the executive councils of each

organization. When the FCAE found the task of unification too

much, selected art educators established the National Association

for Art Education (NAAE). The NAAE lasted only two years before

its small, volunteer staff recognized that American art education

faced more challenges than they could handle. The four regional

Arts Associations, however, maintained strength, surviving both

depression and war.

The merger that established NAEA in 1947 represented faith in

a vision of one national professional organization that could over-

come regional differences and distrust, and unify art educators

from all segments of the field. The NAEA's success in realizing a

unified vision that accommodates a variety of voices and perspec-

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LETTERS TH E LETTERS TH E

tives is demonstrated by the current balance of Regions and

Divisions within the Association, as well as by the growth of affiliates.

Some readers may be reminded of why certain affiliates were estab-

lished when they read the first two articles, reprinted just as they were

originally published.

Since the 19th century, when more women than men served as

district art supervisors and joined art teachers' associations, women

have been active in art education. Nevertheless, much of the national

leadership, many of the most frequently cited authors in the field, and

the majority of authors included here have been men (Stankiewicz &

Zimmerman, 1984, p. 130). Some readers may find language in

some of the reprinted articles equally male-centered. The NAEA

Women's Caucus was not founded until 1974, when women art edu-

cators joined together to address use of non-sexist language in pro-

fessional publications and related issues. NAEA affiliates, such as the

Committee on Multiethnic Concerns, the Seminar for Research in Art

Education, the Social Theory Caucus and others, demonstrate the

growing diversity of interests among NAEA members. At the same

time, consensus has grown among art educators about common core

beliefs that set art education apart from other disciplines. Many of the

authors in this issue have played key roles in building consensus

while respecting diversity.

Thanks for this anniversary issue go to my colleagues, the former

editors of Art Education, who were willing to tackle a deliberately "ill-

defined task" and who rose to the challenge with style and grace.

Thanks are also due to Terry Barrett of The Ohio State University who

first suggested the idea of a "best of the best" issue. Finally, I want to

thank Tom Hatfield, Carol May, Stacie Lequar, and the NAEA staff who

were willing to try something different in celebration of this special year.

Mary Ann Stankiewicz

Editor

REFERENCES Saunders, R. (n.d.). The making of the National Art Education

Association. Unpublished paper. Stankiewicz, M. A., & Zimmerman, E. (1984). Women's achievements in

art education. In G. Collins & R. Sandell, Women, art and education (pp. 113-140). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.

tives is demonstrated by the current balance of Regions and

Divisions within the Association, as well as by the growth of affiliates.

Some readers may be reminded of why certain affiliates were estab-

lished when they read the first two articles, reprinted just as they were

originally published.

Since the 19th century, when more women than men served as

district art supervisors and joined art teachers' associations, women

have been active in art education. Nevertheless, much of the national

leadership, many of the most frequently cited authors in the field, and

the majority of authors included here have been men (Stankiewicz &

Zimmerman, 1984, p. 130). Some readers may find language in

some of the reprinted articles equally male-centered. The NAEA

Women's Caucus was not founded until 1974, when women art edu-

cators joined together to address use of non-sexist language in pro-

fessional publications and related issues. NAEA affiliates, such as the

Committee on Multiethnic Concerns, the Seminar for Research in Art

Education, the Social Theory Caucus and others, demonstrate the

growing diversity of interests among NAEA members. At the same

time, consensus has grown among art educators about common core

beliefs that set art education apart from other disciplines. Many of the

authors in this issue have played key roles in building consensus

while respecting diversity.

Thanks for this anniversary issue go to my colleagues, the former

editors of Art Education, who were willing to tackle a deliberately "ill-

defined task" and who rose to the challenge with style and grace.

Thanks are also due to Terry Barrett of The Ohio State University who

first suggested the idea of a "best of the best" issue. Finally, I want to

thank Tom Hatfield, Carol May, Stacie Lequar, and the NAEA staff who

were willing to try something different in celebration of this special year.

Mary Ann Stankiewicz

Editor

REFERENCES Saunders, R. (n.d.). The making of the National Art Education

Association. Unpublished paper. Stankiewicz, M. A., & Zimmerman, E. (1984). Women's achievements in

art education. In G. Collins & R. Sandell, Women, art and education (pp. 113-140). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.

September 17,1996

To the Editor:

"Retirement is a state of mind as well as a fiscal fact.

For many of us aging academics, the discontinuation of a

regular salary check has neither been accompanied by an

atrophying intellect nor a lack of concern for a piece of the

educational field we plowed for decades. But, for our col-

leagues who still work for some institutional boss, retirees

have been put out to green pastures, not to the stud farm. I

believe such to be a neglect of a prime resource.

By liberating ourselves from the oft demeaning rat

race, from the daily infighting, soul-diminishing committee

assignments, money-grubbing, space-searching, vacuous

writing exercises-we are emotionally freer to observe with

a clarity sharpened by experience and to perceive with

fresh eyes. What reputations we've made need no fatten-

ing; we aren't bucking for promotion or struggling to keep a

job or scratching out empty proposals. We can browse the

literature and travel and have time to reflect and, indeed, to

produce. Our freedom has allowed the years of teaching

and studying to gestate and give birth to a new community

of wise ones.

I believe the NAEA fails to understand our value.

Perhaps our salaried colleagues consider retirement a

reward for services rendered, a time to go lazily into the

night and, respecting our rest, refuse to involve us in their

deliberations. Thus, I find the wheel being consistently

reinvented, history ignored, and the field a morass of many

members meandering rather aimlessly, periodically grasp-

ing at faddish straws. I believe we retirees can help

achieve stability. We await being asked.

Cordially,

Ken Marantz

Prof. emeritus, Ohio State University

September 17,1996

To the Editor:

"Retirement is a state of mind as well as a fiscal fact.

For many of us aging academics, the discontinuation of a

regular salary check has neither been accompanied by an

atrophying intellect nor a lack of concern for a piece of the

educational field we plowed for decades. But, for our col-

leagues who still work for some institutional boss, retirees

have been put out to green pastures, not to the stud farm. I

believe such to be a neglect of a prime resource.

By liberating ourselves from the oft demeaning rat

race, from the daily infighting, soul-diminishing committee

assignments, money-grubbing, space-searching, vacuous

writing exercises-we are emotionally freer to observe with

a clarity sharpened by experience and to perceive with

fresh eyes. What reputations we've made need no fatten-

ing; we aren't bucking for promotion or struggling to keep a

job or scratching out empty proposals. We can browse the

literature and travel and have time to reflect and, indeed, to

produce. Our freedom has allowed the years of teaching

and studying to gestate and give birth to a new community

of wise ones.

I believe the NAEA fails to understand our value.

Perhaps our salaried colleagues consider retirement a

reward for services rendered, a time to go lazily into the

night and, respecting our rest, refuse to involve us in their

deliberations. Thus, I find the wheel being consistently

reinvented, history ignored, and the field a morass of many

members meandering rather aimlessly, periodically grasp-

ing at faddish straws. I believe we retirees can help

achieve stability. We await being asked.

Cordially,

Ken Marantz

Prof. emeritus, Ohio State University

JANUARY 1997 / ART EDUCATION JANUARY 1997 / ART EDUCATION

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