Desarae M. Lee and Professor Donna K. Beattie, Art Education

High school programs in Queensland, Australia are known for producing advanced students and exceptional art pieces. The purpose of my research was to give art educators in Utah practical ways to implement beneficial Queensland education practices into their classrooms. Previous research has been done comparing teaching methods in Queensland and teaching methods in Utah, but most of this research was directed toward assessment and accountability, or the administrative side of art education. In order for educators in Utah to learn and benefit from the education techniques in Queensland, it became necessary to conduct research of how change could occur from within, at the classroom level.

To conduct this research, I spent time observing elementary and high school art classrooms first in Utah and second in Queensland, Australia. I observed two different high school art programs in Brisbane for a week and a half each. Through observation and participation in these lessons, I recorded specific lesson plan tendencies that would help Utah teachers improve their own techniques.

Art lessons in Utah are based on standards set forth by the Utah State Office of Education and centers around the elements and principles of art, such as line, space, balance, value, and so on. Art lessons in Brisbane, however, focus more on the conceptual side of art. Lessons are centered around a theme and students learn how to use those same elements and principles to communicate how they feel about that theme. For example, a lesson that I observed in a Utah Senior-level class involved the students creating a piece of art that centered around the different qualities of line. In contrast, a lesson that I observed in an Australian high-school level class centered around the student’s core belief about shelter. She had to figure out how to use line and other elements to convey how she felt about that word.

Australian lessons are centered around current art. One writing assignment I observed asked the student to compare three landscapes from three different periods of time. One had to have been created in the last five years, one in the last fifty years, and one in the last one hundred years. The students were then to explain how the method the artist used to convey the message has changed over time. Lessons in Utah rarely center around current art. Students often are taught to emulate styles that occurred more than a hundred years ago, and the art class starts to more closely resemble an art history class.

Art assignments in Utah are often single-layered in media and inspiration. Student works convey a simple image or idea and are constructed using a single art-making method, such as painting or drawing. In Brisbane, students are encouraged to layer their assignments. They not only use many different layers of meaning in a single piece, they also use many different kinds of media. One lesson I observed started with the students choosing a “conspiracy theory.” They created a mixed-media piece using charcoal, pencils, glue, newspapers, and text and images from research done on that conspiracy theory. While the students worked on these pieces, the teacher taught about composition, mixed-media, layering, and repetition, all of which are different building blocks of art. The students then chose a section of their mixed-media piece to use as inspiration for two other works of art, a lino-print and a painting.

This multi-layered and conceptual approach to art assignments in Brisbane requires large amounts of time for completion. Many upper-level students finish only three or four works per school year, but each of their works is a significant comment on or addition to the current world of art. In contrast, many Utah students complete three of four assignments in a single month-the AP test for studio art requires that the student submit at least 20 different pieces of art-and rarely are these pieces related to the happenings in the current world of art.

Brisbane students are not limited in their creativity by budget or space constraints. In one of the programs I observed, the art staff had developed creative solutions to overcome budget problems. They’ve started an art gallery in which local artists pay to display their work. They hold an annual fashion show that includes high school students modeling clothing from local designers. All of the proceeds from both of these events goes directly back into the art program. Teachers are internally motivated to challenge their students. Students in Utah are often limited by school budget or space constrains and teacher imagination or education. Art programs do not seem to be a high priority in an educational budget that is already lacking in sufficient funds. Many teachers are frustrated in their efforts to provide their students with the desired working space or materials.

For those educators who are willing to put in the extra effort that it might take, there are invaluable lessons to be learned from educators in Brisbane. The first lesson is to give assignments that are relevant in the current art world and that are conceptual or theme-based. Also, assignments should be layered in media and content and sufficient time should be allowed for this complex layering to occur. Finally, educators should use their own creativity to find ways to expand their limited space and budget so that students are not limited in their assignments.

This experience was a priceless personal experience. As a first-year art teacher, I have implemented these and other lessons I learned while in Australia. I have seen students that are excited and challenged by the art they are creating and hopefully I am producing artists that are able to communicate with the current art world.