Many educators concerned with the quality and quantity of arts education believe that collaboration among the disciplines is necessary to improve conditions. Current probable visions for the future of visual art education are cloudy because of ambiguity surrounding the concept of collaboration. In order to explore this concept, this paper is written with three purposes in mind in an attempt to move from testimonial policies to the kind of operational policy for art education that is needed to advance the profession. The three purposes are: (1) to review the literature concerning the value of collaboration; (2) to analyze the concept from the perspectives of leadership and management theories, and cognitive psychology; and (3) to address the development of discipline based art education within the context of a discipline-specific strategy for change. The paper uses two state level examples of art education advocacy (plans of Iowa and Pennsylvania) to show how the theoretical use of collaboration has resulted in questionable policies and plans, and goes on to discuss the convenient "umbrella" concept of arts education, criticizing it for creating a false image of interdependence among the art forms and their disciplinary structure in education as well as a false image of coordination among the four major curricular areas in art. A case is made for the creation of a "National Institute for Education in the Visual Arts" which would provide the following services to the field: (1) conduct research and development activities; (2) publish and disseminate reports of its findings and those of related organizations and individuals; (3) serve as an information center; and (4) serve as a conference center. Above all, it would serve to connect all the different sectors of influence that impact on the arts: the federal sector, the regulatory and curricular sector, the professional associations sector, the advocacy sector, and all the many elements that make up the art world itself. (KM)