Art Critiques

An art instructor can use podcasting to model and engage students in art critiques. The teacher might record a series of short commentaries on artwork studied in class, discussing elements of composition, light, color, etc. for each. Students are then encouraged to record their own reactions to the same and other pieces of art. Through modeling and repeated exposure, the students build their specialized vocabulary for describing and appreciating visual art. Encourage students to record reactions to pieces that have been previously reviewed by their classmates. Consider having students record art critiques in small groups and to compare different personal reactions. Teachers may consider asking students to adopt a particular role for a given critique, such as curator, art dealer, or artist. Students may also react to individual elements separately. For example, one student may record his or her interpretation of the use of color in a particular work, while another student may look at perspective and space for the same piece.

Many museums now offer audio walking tours via headsets. For a student art show, the students could record walking tours of their own work. For field trips to art museums, students could create and share audio walking tours from their own perspectives, for example, Art Kids Audio Guides to the Tampa Museum of Art. Students could also be encouraged to record and submit their walking tours of museums visited on family trips to add to the classroom library of Art Tours. Virtual walking tours can be created for museums that offer materials online.

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