Thoughts on Art and Education

I began to study education (more than twenty years ago) because I was fascinated by the process of becoming—by spiritual growth and individual self-realization. Recently, however, I have grown discouraged by the atmosphere that I find in most classrooms and by the methods of those who study them. Both seem mechanical and profoundly disenchanted, with little sense of the boundless potential of children or the sacredness of teaching and learning.

Hans Thoma, “Children’s Roundelay” (1872)

To me, the most interesting insights now seem to appear on canvas, in sculpture, and in picture books: in artistic visions of childhood experience.

My hope is to publish a short essay every month, using artwork to explore these themes. I hope that these reflections might be useful to parents and educators, or at least a means to start conversations with kindred spirits.

Thanks for reading!