Art Education in the Early 20th Century Randilynn Mitchell March 1, 2013 Introduction The early 20th century

art courses, according to Margaret Mathias (1924), were considered inadequate because they failed to enable the average individual to meet with intelligence the art problems that confront him (p. 1). She believed that a proper art course could help children learn to appreciate art and meet art problems, resulting in a better society. Mathias, an educator in the 1920s, felt that in order to accomplish such a task, the art courses needed to change from imitation into developing the opportunity for self-expression, based on the childs own experiences, and understanding the expression of others. How could such a curriculum be implemented? Mathias suggests altering the art training of art teachers based on her research on understanding the mental processes that effect expression. The discoveries she shared are: the development of the artistic process, the proper materials suited to the childs experiences and their effects on expression, and building a good art curriculum for lower primary school children. It is through her accurate research, and principles that caused her book The Beginning of Art in the Public Schools to become the main educational book for primary school teachers in the 1920s. The Artistic Process Mathias discovered that children have three artistic processes to go through in their developmental stages: manipulation, symbolism, and realistic stages. The first stage is manipulation where the child is interested in the activity and often manipulates the material aimlessly until they arrive at an idea (Mathias, 1924, p. 7). As the child begins to explain the imagery through a story, then he has moved into the stage of symbolism, as the images are mere signs or symbols of realistic objects. Mathias considers this step to be where the child begins to

express himself through art materials and once the childs imagery is awakened, then does his expression become easy, become a delight, become varied (Mathias, 1924, p 8). As the child expresses himself, he desires to know how to make his images look more realistic and this is where the child climbs to the realistic stage. He is beginning at this stage to express himself in terms of actual facts and real situations (Mathias, 1924, p. 9). In this step the teacher, according to Mathias, should introduce technique that leads to richer expressions, because if the technique is given before the child is ready, it only hampers his expression (Mathias, 1924). Materials Best Suited It is through the use of various materials that a child begins to express himself, so how does a teacher determine which materials provide the opportunity for expression in young children? Mathias asked a similar question and based on her research, she determined six question to ask, does the material: provide free bodily movement, promote satisfaction, allow the child to start on his level, provide problem solving situations for growth, provide quick work, and provide desirable social situations (Mathias, 1924, p. 12). After first observing children using various materials she and her colleagues determined that: clay, wood, cloth, roving, and paint should be used in a primary school classroom each fitting the requirements she believed would foster growth and expression and also allow the children to adequately move through the artistic processes. For example the children can mold or flatten the clay, put wood pieces together, or paint a realistic image based on experience or observations of reality. Children feel the need of many different materials in the expression of experiences, says Mathias (1924), and teachers should be ready to help students by interacting correctly, arranging the materials in utility stations, and be available for questions on technique (p. 16). Developing the Curriculum

A good way to help students is to develop an art curriculum that includes materials and art appreciation. Mathias established standards for developing an art curriculum in the 1920s. This design is based on the belief than art should present opportunities for the child to develop the means to feel and express through art. These five standards are: considering the need for technique, make good objectives and standards, make considerations for art appreciation, observe and assess activities to determine needs of the group, and record and assess if the objectives and goals are being met accurately based on the activity. The prior art courses of lower primary grades focused on imitation, knowledge, and skills. The beginning of art is the feeling of needthe desire for expression which is satisfied by means of material, tools, and skills (Mathias, 1924, p. 69). Therefore the art curriculum should allow the child to progress naturally through the stages, expressing himself with materials by gaining control of the material, and accumulated valuable experiences in the material and art course. Conclusion The late 19th and early 20th century art courses lacked the principle of self-expression in their classrooms. The teachers listed out activities, wanted imitation, and structure that instilled knowledge and skills. However, Mathias saw that children did not merely need knowledge and skills in the beginning of art education but that children, firstly, needed to develop in stages and ask for the specific technique once reaching the final stage. It is through these stages that the child takes his experiences, expresses them in a material best suited for his age group, and relays that expression to others in a critique that fosters growth through art, provided the teacher has produced an accurate curriculum and classroom setting. The ideas and research that Mathias gathered still influences our art classrooms today as we try to foster self-expression based on a childs experiences

in order to produce growth. It is through her work and the work of others that helped to lay the foundations of art education. Where would we be now without them?

References & Resources Mathias, M. E. (1924). The beginning of art in the public schools (pp. 1113). New York, NY: Charles Scribners' Son. Moore, C. W. (1934, February 14). The teaching of art by Margaret Mathias, a review. Educational Research Bulletin, 13(2), 51-52. Sienkiewicz, C. (1985). The Froebelian kindergarten as an art academy. In B. Wilson & H. Hoffa (Eds.), The history of art education: Proceedings from the Penn State conference (pp. 125-137). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association. Stankiewicz, M. A. (2001). Freeing the Child Through Art. In M. A. Stankiewicz, Roots of art education practice (pp. 25-43). Worcester, MA: Davis Publications. Strauch-Nelson, W. (2012). Reuniting art and nature in the life of the child. Art Education, 65(3), 33-38