White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-03-03
The Modern School
ART IN EDUCATION
By Esther Gingrich
Department of Applied Sciences and
Arts, Cheney Normal School

We all know that there is within
each of us an Unborn desire for self
expression through art forms, just as
there is natural love of beauty. Man
has always sought to satisfy these
needs to the best of his ability through
adornment of self and home and in
various ways connected with rituals of
worship We know that children de-
light in all forms of creative express
sion, as do adults, although adults are
less open about it, We know that we
need basic knowledge of the good
and bad in art in order that we may
make intelligent choices, because new
er before has art played such an i'm
portant part in commercial way,
touching practically everything we
use.
Let us visit few classes in the
modern school to discover what is be-
ing done to meet these art needs and
to see also what part art plays in the
learning process relative to other
studies, as social science and literature.
In primary room we find group of
children working intently at easels,
painting large colorful pictures with
calcomine. They scarcely notice our
presence, for painting is serious bust
ness. Each child has within him some
thing which he earnestly desires to
express concerning favorite poem.
The teacher is moving quietly about,
giving word of encouragement here
and asking thought provoking CUES
ton there, ever seeking to bring forth
from each the best in freedom of ex-
preston and striving at the same time
to increase the child's knowledge of
basic art principles. She does not de-
sire to develop artists, but she does
hope to provide wholesome outlet for
|self-eXpression and fuller appreci-
alton of art.
We enter another room. Here the
children are working in small groups
doing different things. One group is
busily engaged in painting backdrop,
Whlch~We are informed is to be used in
play they have made up concerning
the Czechoslovakians whom they have
been studying in social science. An
other committee is arranging the fur
nishings in small Professionalism
house, which they have constructed
and which is large enough to accom-
modate several children. Under the
leadership Of a child chairman they
are trying out various ideas, finally
deciding upon an arrangement with
the help of the "Consulting Engineer,
their teacher We soon discover that
these children are learning how to CO.
operate as we'll as how the Czechs live
and how to arrange furniture in a
house.
Several children are putting the fin
lshlng touches on some costumes,
gaily decorated with painted designs.
We find that each child has designed
and executed his own decoration, there
by gaining both an appreciation and
a knowledge of good design On TIA
Die are some booklets containing crayon
Illustrations relative to Czechoslovakia.
Each illustration has involved much
purposeful study in order to portray
accurate information. Art is being used
as an incentive to study; it's use serves
to illuminate and clarity information
and to fix it in the childs mind.
1t is evident that the old unhappy
days of the copybook and still-life
model are gone and that art has come
to be a vital factor in the all-round
development of the child.