BOHEMIA, NY - ArtSchools.com, an online directory of art schools in New York, commends the Maintained Sector History of Art Project for its efforts in bringing art education to all students in the United Kingdom.
According to a March 3rd article published by The Guardian titled "History of art: it's not just a subject for 'posh girls,' teachers say," a new project in the UK aims to give more students access to art history. The Maintained Sector History of Art Project, spearheaded by Caroline Osborne, a teacher at prestigious girls' school Godolphin & Latymer, is designed to give students of all backgrounds a chance to absorb the benefits of art history.
The article says many state schools in the UK currently do not have art subjects in their curriculum. In fact, only 17 state schools, out of 3000 offer art courses. Osborne believes art history education can transform lives. "There's such a deep-rooted prejudice about art history being elitist," she says in the article. "People think it's art appreciation plus salacious details about an artist's life. But really it's a visual toolkit. It's about learning to see what you are looking at. Visual literacy is the key to everything nowadays."
Though the project has been slow to take off, Andrew Girard, a representative at ArtSchools.com, a directory of art schools in New York, says that it's only a matter of time before schools begin to recognize the advantages of this program and how art benefits students. "The Maintained Sector History of Art Project is an ingenious program with an enormous amount of potential," he says. "Art is an essential part of our culture, and its history allows us to look into the past. Art can teach us a lot about our own history and what the time period was like. It's more than just appreciation for an artist. It's learning about technique, and what motivated these artists to produce such illustrious pieces. All students should have access to art programs, not only to express themselves and enhance creativity, but to learn about their country's past."
