Art and Education

Diosdado C. Epanto, Jr. Man invents things for him to use and make life easy. As he worked for these, art was with it unknowingly. In all mans endeavor, we could say, art was with it. As Robert Henri said Art cannot be separated from life. It is the expression of the greatest need of which life is capable, and we value art not because of the skilled product, but because of its revelation of a life's experience. Mans life develops so with art. But, though art can be seen across mans activities, it can be treated separately.

Art, as defined, is the product of creative human activity in which materials are shaped or selected to convey an idea, emotion, or visually interesting form. The word art can refer to the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, decorative arts, crafts, and other visual works that combine materials or forms. We also use the word art in a more general sense to encompass other forms of creative activity, such as dance, drama, and music. Art is a good venue in expressing mans feelings, ideals, aspirations, and convictions.

Like any other country in the world, the Filipino way of life and the things surrounding them are in one way or another, shaped by art. In remote areas, tribal groups have preserved traditional art forms such as woodcarving, textile weaving, bamboo and rattan weaving, and metalsmithing. Artistic body adornments such as bead jewelry, body tattoos, and headdresses are important indications of social status. In the northern Philippines, the Ifugao people are known for their sculptural wood carvings of bulul figures, which represent guardian deities. The figures are ritually placed in rice granaries to bring a plentiful harvest. The terraced rice fields of the Ifugao are considered a major architectural feat. The Ifugao built them over a period of centuries by carving terraces into the mountainsides and reinforcing each level with stone walls. The Muslim peoples practice okir, a design tradition that shows evidence of Indian and Islamic influences. Rendered in hardwood and brass, the okir designs are mostly figurative, depicting animals, plants, and mythical figures. The style is highly decorative, with long curvilinear lines and secondary arabesques. The designs are based in the ancient epics and serve

as significant cultural symbols. An important motif of the Maranaos is the sarimanok design, depicting a bird holding a fish in its beak or talons. Many okir designs are used as decorative elements in architecture. The Muslim peoples of the Philippines are noted for their metalworking skills, producing weaponry such as swords and decorative containers in brass and silver. In education, art maybe viewed as Teaching Tools, a Learning Process, and as Assessment. Art as alternative learning results to active student participation motivation to learn. The art reignites the imagination and passion of students. Arts are sources of cultural and historical information diverse perfective and values because they depict as an integral instructional content and bodies of strategies used on a daily basis. It is an effective means by which students are enabled to experience the visual arts in a variety of ways. Art can be used as a learning process. It improves multicultural understanding, revitalizes the students as well as the faculty, promotes growth in use of higher-order thinking and problemsolving skills, and maximizes creative capacities. It is difficult to accept a call for excellent teaching for our countrys future that pays no heed to the awakenings that art makes possible. Art is a powerful tool to forge or teach shared values, perspectives, competence, perseverance, and diversity. Arts are primary means through which we understand human experiences and transmit cultural values, the visual arts should be an essential part of every child's education.