To thrive in today's economy and the workforce of the future, individuals need creativity and problem-solving skills. Emotion skills have been increasingly discussed as well, with companies listing emotional intelligence as one of the top skills needed for professional success. The present paper describes a course designed to teach professional…

This exploratory study compared the effects of two different teaching methods (teacher-directed vs. choice-based) on the overall art skills, realistic drawing ability, intrinsic motivation to pursue art, and creativity in art productions in children attending the two art programs. The sample consisted of 83 third graders who completed two art…

The principles and techniques of design education have begun to influence art education in the United States, but their effect so far has been modest, primarily because of a gaping divide in beliefs about creativity and how to stimulate it. With K-12 art education on the chopping block of a culture awash with budget cuts and testing fever, this is…

This paper reports on an interview study with MFA students in two different full-time MFA degree programs in painting. The interviews were conducted as part of two ethnographic studies, each one academic year in length, of art and design schools at two U.S. universities. The goal was to explore the extended process whereby MFA student artists, in…

This study focuses on behavior associated with young art students' developing artistic talent ("skills and art-making behavior") and creativity ("personal expressions of visual information"). The study examines the role of personal expertise in a student's development of problem finding, domain-specific technical skill,…