Art Inquiry

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Art Inquiry by Mary Erickson
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• This presentation shows how using an inquiry
  strategy can help students
• I. Find meaningful connections between viewing
  art and making art.
• II. Develop skills identified in the National
  Core Visual Arts Standards.
• III. Develop English Language Arts skills
  identified in the Common Core Standards.

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Inquiry Strategy Two mascots represent the
complementary processes of an inquiry
strategy. _at_Tempe Center for the Arts
and Mary Erickson, 2014 www..tempe.gov/TCAeducati
on
Questor is a viewer,
Jack is an artist, curious about artworks.
jumping for new art ideas.
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Part I Using an inquiry strategy helps
students find meaningful connections between
viewing art and making art.
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This strategy starts with four viewers questions
(Questor Questions) you and your students can ask
about any artwork, in any sequence.
What Can I See? What
Can I Learn about
the Artists Life and
Times? I See? What Can I Learn
about

the Artists Life Times?
How Does it Compare What Does it
Mean? to Other Artworks?
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The four viewers questions correlate with four
artist questions (Jack Questions) you and your
students can ask, in any sequence, about their
own art making.
What Choices will I What
Ideas Can I Get from Make in My Own
Artwork? My Own Life and Times?See?
What Can I Learn about

the Artists Life Times?
What Ideas Can I Get What Do
I Want to from Looking at
Other Art? Achieve with My Art?
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Questor and Jacks four very broad questions can
be broken into general starter questions to
initiate further inquiry.
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How well students understand or appreciate an
artwork can depend on how carefully they look at
it. Students artworks look as they do because
of their choices.
Text
What Can I See in the Artwork?
What Choices
Will I Make in My Artwork? KE
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These are general questions you can ask about any
artwork to help direct your students inquiry
through careful observation and decision making.
SUBJECT MATTER DESIGN ELEMENTS DESIGN
PRINCIPLES
What people, places, or things, if any, are shown
in this artwork? What one or two elements (line,
shape, light dark, color, texture, mass, space,
or other) are most important in this artwork?
Why? How did the artist use design principles to
organize elements within this artwork?
Will my artwork have subject matter? What one
or two elements of design is most important for
the success of my artwork? What design
principles can I use to organize the elements
into an interesting and unified composition?
(Continued on next slide)
Text
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(Continued from preceding slide)
These, too, are general questions you can ask
about any artwork to help direct your students
inquiry through careful observation and
decision making.
What tools, materials, and processes am I
considering? What qualities in my artwork might
be difficult to capture in a reproduction (or
example, if it were reproduced online or in a
photograph or scan). How can I best present and
preserve my artwork?
What can I see in the artwork that shows the
tools, materials, or process the artist used to
make it? What might I be missing if I am not
looking at the actual artwork but at a
reproduction? How is this artwork protected from
harm? Has its condition deteriorated over time?
TECHNICAL FEATURES REPRODUCTION CARE
Text
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Sometimes students need information about where
and when an artist made an artwork to make sense
of it. Students can get art ideas from many
sources, including their own life experiences.
Text
What Can I Learn about the Life and Times of the
Artist?
What Ideas Can I Get from My Own
Life and Times?
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These are general questions you can ask about
any artwork to help direct your students
contextual inquiry.
What art ideas can I get from my own personal or
family experiences? What ideas might I get from
my physical environment? What ideas might I
get from my culture? Can I get ideas from my
art classes, fellow art students, art teachers,
or maybe museum visits? Will my work have a
function? If so, what function?
ARTISTS LIFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CULTURE
ARTWORLD FUNCTION
What are/were the personal background and life
experiences of the artist? What are/was the
natural or built environment/s like where the
artist lives/lived and works/worked? What is the
artists culture? What do/did people think,
believe, and do in that culture? What art
training, traditions, movements, and expectations
surround/ed the artist? What function or purpose
does/did this artwork serve? For whom?
Text
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Finding connections with other artworks can bring
new perspectives to any artwork. Students can
get ideas for their own art by exploring artworks
by other artists.
How Does this Artwork Compare with
Other Artworks?
What Ideas Can I Get from
Looking at Other Art?
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These are general questions you can ask about
any artwork to help direct your students inquiry
into relationships among artworks.
Do I want my artwork to be similar in style to my
other artworks or artworks other artists have
made? How has my artwork been influenced by
other artists or their work? What other artist
has expresses a big idea similar to the theme in
which I am interested?
How is this artwork similar in style to other
artworks made in the same context (by the same
artist, within his/her movement, or within
her/his culture)? What earlier artists or
artworks influenced this artist? What other
artworks can be associated with the theme
underlying this artwork?
STYLE INFLUENCE THEME
Text
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Interpretation is a process of finding meaning in
an artwork and supporting ones conclusion with
evidence. Students may have clear ideas about
what they want to do before making their artworks
or their ideas may evolve as they work.
What Does this Artwork Mean?
What Do I Want
to Achieve with My Artwork?
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These are general questions you can ask about any
artwork to help direct your students inquiry
into what artworks might mean and into setting
their own art making goals.
Why did the artist want this artwork to look as
it does? How do/did art specialists understand
this artwork? How was this artwork understood
within the culture of its time or by members of
other subcultures (not art specialists)? How
might my own personal experiences affect how I
understand this artwork?
What is my goal as an artist? How would I like
my artwork to be understood in the artworld?
Which artworld? Do I want my work to reflect
or impact my culture or society? What are my
personal goals for this artwork?
ARTISTS INTENTION ART SPECIALISTS UNDERSTANDIN
GS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS YOUR OWN
VIEWPOINT
Text
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.
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Inquiry Strategy as Scaffold A scaffold is a
temporary structure that provides a place where
workers can stand as they construct, paint,
repair, or otherwise maintain a permanent
structure, like a building, tower, or bridge.
Like any scaffold, this art inquiry strategy is
important only as long as it is useful to you
and/or your students. Ultimately, as you and/or
your students adapt or replace this scaffold, you
become independent inquirers directing your own
inquiries about art and through art making.
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Part II Using an inquiry strategy helps
students develop skills identified in the
National Core Visual Arts Standards. The
National Core Visual Arts Standards focus on
four artistic processes, further identified in 11
anchor standards CREATING (Cr) 3 PRESENTING
(Pr) 3 RESPONDING (Re) 3 CONNECTING (Cn)
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Art inquiry offers entry points for planning
instruction to address all eleven national
standards.
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SUBJECT MATTER DESIGN ELEMENTS DESIGN
PRINCIPLES TECHNICAL FEATURES REPRODUCTION CARE
TO MEET CREATING AND PRESENTING ANCHOR STANDARDS
Cr2. Organize and develop artistic ideas and
work. (Also PLAN inquiry) Cr3. Refine and
complete artistic work. (Also PLAN inquiry) Pr1.
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work
for presentation.
Text
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SUBJECT MATTER DESIGN ELEMENTS DESIGN
PRINCIPLES TECHNICAL FEATURES REPRODUCTION CARE
TO MEET PRESENTING AND RESPONDING ANCHOR
STANDARDS
Pr3. Select, analyze and interpret artistic work
for presentation. (Also INTERPRET inquiry) Re1.
Perceive and analyze artistic work.
Text
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ARTISTS LIFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CULTURE ARTW
ORLD FUNCTION
TO MEET CREATING AND CONNECTING ANCHOR STANDARDS

Text
Cr1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas
and work. (Also EXPLORE and PLAN inquiry) Cn1.
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal
experiences to make art. Cn2. Relate artistic
ideas and works with societal, cultural, and
historical context to deepen understanding. (Also
LEARN, COMPARE, and EXPLORE inquiry)
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ARTISTS LIFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CULTURE ARTW
ORLD FUNCTION
TO MEET CONNECTING ANCHOR STANDARD

Cn2. Relate artistic ideas and works with
societal, cultural, and historical context to
deepen understanding. (Also SEEK, COMPARE, and
EXPLORE inquiry)
Text
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TO MEET CREATING AND CONNECTING ANCHOR STANDARDS
STYLE INFLUENCE THEME
Cr1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas
and work. (Also SEEK and PLAN inquiry) Cn2.
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal,
cultural, and historical context to deepen
understanding. (Also SEEK and LEARN inquiry)
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STYLE INFLUENCE THEME
TO MEET RESPONDING AND CONNECTING ANCHOR
STANDARDS
Re3. Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
(Also INTERPRET inquiry) Cn2. Relate artistic
ideas and works with societal, cultural, and
historical context to deepen understanding. (Also
LEARN and EXPLORE inquiry)
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ARTISTS INTENTION ART SPECIALISTS UNDERSTANDING
S CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS YOUR OWN VIEWPOINT
TO MEET CREATING ANCHOR STANDARDS
Cr1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas
and work. (Also SEEK and EXPLORE inquiry) Cr2.
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
(Also CHOOSE inquiry) Cr3. Refine and complete
artistic work. (Also CHOOSE inquiry)
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ARTISTS INTENTION ART SPECIALISTS UNDERSTANDING
S CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS YOUR OWN VIEWPOINT
TO MEET PRESENTING AND RESPONDING ANCHOR
STANDARDS
Pr2. Convey meaning through the presentation of
artwork. Pr3. Select, analyze and interpret
artistic work for presentation. (Also LOOK
inquiry) Re2. Interpret intent and meaning in
artistic work. Re3. Apply criteria to evaluate
artistic work. (Also COMPARE inquiry)
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Part III Using an inquiry strategy helps
students develop English Language Arts (ELA)
skills identified in the Common Core
standards. Sample reading and writing standards
for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-10 are listed. NOTE
Artworks can be understood both as primary
sources and as text.
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SUBJECT MATTER DESIGN ELEMENTS DESIGN
PRINCIPLES TECHNICAL FEATURES REPRODUCTION CARE
TO MEET READING COMMON CORE STANDARDS
Elementary R.4 Interpret words and phrases and
images as they are used in a text artwork,
including determining technical, connotative, and
figurative meanings, and analyze how specific
word and visual choices shape meaning or tone.
Middle School RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning
of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific
words and phrases as they are used in a specific
scientific or technical context relevant to
grades 68 texts artworks and topics. High
School RST.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of
symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific
words and phrases as they are used in a specific
scientific or technical artistic context
relevant to grades 910 texts and topics.
Artworks are considered to be text in art
inquiry.
Text
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ARTISTS LIFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CULTURE ARTWO
RLD FUNCTION
ARN TO MEET
READING COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Elementary R.1 Read closely to determine what
the text artwork says explicitly and to make
logical inferences from it cite specific textual
and visual evidence when writing or speaking
to support conclusions drawn from the text
artwork. Middle School RST.6-8.1 Cite
specific textual and visual evidence to
support analysis of science and technical texts
artworks. High School RST.9-10.1 Cite
specific textual and visual evidence to
support analysis of science and technical texts
artworks, attending to the precise details of
explanations or descriptions. Artworks are
considered to be text in art inquiry.
Text
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STYLE INFLUENCE THEME
TO MEET READING COMMON CORE STANDARDS
Elementary R.9 Analyze how two or more texts
artworks address similar themes or topics in
order to build knowledge or to compare the
approaches the authors artists take. Middle
School 6-8.RH.9. Analyze the relationship
between a primary and secondary source on the
same topic. High School 9-10.RH.9. Compare and
contrast treatments of the same topic in several
primary and secondary sources. Artworks are
considered to be text in art inquiry. Artworks
are dominant primary courses in art inquiry. .
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ARTISTS INTENTION ART SPECIALISTS UNDERSTANDING
S CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS YOUR OWN VIEWPOINT
TO MEET WRITING COMMON CORE STANDARDS
Elementary W.1 Write arguments to support
claims in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts artworks using valid reasoning and
relevant and sufficient evidence. Middle
School WHST.6-8.2f Provide a concluding
statement or section that follows from and
supports the information or explanation
presented. High School WHST.9-10.2f Provide a
concluding statement or section that follows from
and supports the information or explanation
presented (e.g., articulating implications or the
significance of the topic). Artworks are
considered to be text in art inquiry.
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Art Inquiry Resouces Almost all instructional
materials on Mary Erickson Ventures focus on art
inquiry. For a PowerPoint presentation that
introduces young people to art inquiry, click on
Tempe Center for the Arts Lessons, then scroll
down and click on Twenty Questions.
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References Addiss, S. Erickson, M. (1993). Art
history and art education, Champaign-Urbana
University of Illinois. Erickson, M. (2005). Art
making and meaning. Tucson, AZ
Crizmac. Erickson, M. (1983). Teaching art
history as inquiry process, Art Education, 35(5),
28-31. Erickson, M. (2002). Stories of art.
Tucson, AZ Crizmac. Erickson, M. (1977). Uses
of history in art education. Studies in Art
Education, 18(3), 22-29. Erickson, M.
Villeneuve, P. (2004). Educators Resource. In G.
Keller. M. Erickson, P. Villeneuve (Eds.),
Chicano art for our millennium (pp.155-191).
Bilingual Press Tempe, AZ. Erickson, M., Dock,
M., Eldridge, L. (2010). Questor questions.
School Arts, 109(3), pp. 44-25. National Art
Education Association. (2014). National core
visual arts standards, www.artseducators.org