Art Education In Discussion

NAFAE response to national curriculum reforms

Draft consultation response on Reform of the National Curriculum in England for Key Stages 1-3 Read in full

Art Education – mixed feelings

Art Education – mixed feelings David Dye December 2011 Read in full

NAFAE TV

There will be an ARTIST TEACHER award presented at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in January.It is unlikely to achieve the media attention of the Turner Prize but it is just as significant. It is significant because it evidences the value that this major gallery places upon teachers of art maintaining their own contemporary art practice. The ARTIST TEACHER is selected every year as an award to the most distinctive MA Fine Art & Education artists' exhibition. This year Godfrey Worsdale selected Siobhan Verrall's sculptural work which engages with the potential poetics of the ready made.

Last year's award winner Ruth Robinson has recently had her work selected for the exhibition "The Power of Making" at the V&A. Like many of the artists working in teaching Ruth's work is collaborative and is critically involved with the notion of learnt skills and ideas.

Read in full

NAFAE TV - Free to Create

There is the question of what is it that we about to lose if we continue to suffer cuts in Fine Art education and marginalise potential students on the basis of their financial means.
The National Association of Fine Art Education is keen to promote the views of all of those involved in Fine Art Education concerning the real value and benefit of Fine Art and Fine Art education.

NAFAE TV; a collection of short videos authored by students, teachers and practitioners advocating for Fine Art in their own way.

We want to collect content from contributors across the country, share it and promote the advocacy that it will potentially support.
This is not about Fine Art Education; it is about the importance of Fine Art and access to the arts.

Read in full

International Relations: Catalytic Exchange

The phrase catalysed processes was coined by Jöns Jakob Berzelius in 1836 to describe reactions that are accelerated by substances that remain unchanged after the reaction:
Catalysis is the process in which the rate of a ... reaction is either increased or decreased by means of a ... substance known as a catalyst. Unlike other reagents that participate in the ... reaction, a catalyst is not consumed by the reaction itself.

Read in full

Fine Art European Forum: Paradox

Transition and Progression in Fine Art Education and Research

Reports of the 4 breakout groups

• Curriculum Development - chaired by Sean Cummins and Maia Mancuso
• Exchange and Collaboration- chaired by Andres WieCheRink
• Professional Practice, External Connections - chaired by Emilia Telese
• Research and Doctoral Level – chaired by Kevin Atherton

Read in full

Making Sense of Art: The Relationship between Art Criticism and Theories of Visual Hermeneutics

Many people experience bewilderment when exposed to the range of opinions on offer from a wide range of sources about the meanings of art works. Often these opinions are in conflict with one another, and this can lead to much confusion! The paper recommends an examination of the theories of visual hermeneutics - the interpretation of images - from which basis any particular art criticism stems, because in fact it is impossible to argue for any well-developed, coherent position of art criticism without acknowledging its corresponding theory of interpretation. Three groups of visual hermeneutic theory are identified, related to corresponding positions of art criticism, and discussed in terms of their advantages and disadvantages.

Read in full

Pedagogies & practice

Following the recent debate questioning the quality of Art education in the pages of Art Monthly and the subsequent symposiums at the ICA in London and the IKON in Birmingham NAFAE will be hosting a forum following the AGM in March 09, to discuss/examine current and emerging attitudes to pedagogical practice, within Fine Art. The aim of this forum is to highlight discipline specific models of good practice and innovative teaching.

NAFAE would particularly welcome proposals for 10 min presentations from academic staff who have recently (over the last 2-6 yrs) become involved in teaching Fine Art at H E level as well as more established teaching practitioners.

Read in full

GUILDHE Route B meeting

David Ballantyne’s notes from the meeting between Foundation Course Staff with the Delivery Partnership Chair of the Art & Design Working Group. 22 October 2008 Guild HE, Woburn House, London.
The meeting was led by Chaired by Professor David Vaughan, Chair of the Art & Design Working Group of the Delivery Partnership. and Alice Hynes of Guild HE

The other meeting participants included a number of Admissions staff from different HE institutions, two representatives from UCAS, an HE Fine Art BA course leader, staff representing organisations involved with widening participation and a large amount of Foundation course leaders.

Read in full

Primary Narcissism

Risk is disappearing in almost every educational structure and this is potentially a serious loss. What is called the ‘workmanship of risk’ means that at any moment, whether through inattention, or inexperience, or accident, the application of inappropriate force is liable to ruin the job. In this article Joel Fisher examines changing approaches to Art Education and the impact this has had on risk taking.

Read in full

May you teach in interesting times

This article is based on a presentation to the NAFAE AGM; 30th April 2007. It discusses how contemporary Fine Art work can be assessed breaking it down into 5 different criteria. An extended version of this article is available in JVAP: The Journal of Visual Art practice issue 6.1

Read in full